


In Time You'll See

by NolaWombat



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: All the future tropes, F/M, Future Fic, Identity Reveal, Kwami Swap, Lady Noir - Freeform, Lady Noire - Freeform, Married Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Miraculous Team, Mister Bug, Mouse Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Multimouse, Post-Hawk Moth Defeat, Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Pregnancy, Season 3 Spoilers, Time Travel, future shenanigans, post-reveal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:21:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 74,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23143093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NolaWombat/pseuds/NolaWombat
Summary: At twenty-two-years-old, Marinette and Adrien's lives are going well, especially now that the—as Adrien likes to put it—cat is out of the bag. Despite the occasional akuma attack and over-powered super villain, they wouldn't trade anything for what they have.But when an akuma jumps forward in time and pulls their younger-selves along with her, the couple soon have their hands full trying to prevent the Ladybug and Chat Noir of the past from learning anything that might completely destroy their happy future. As with any situation involving their secret identities, Adrien and Marinette have things completely under—wait. Scratch that. It is NOT going well.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 282
Kudos: 836





	1. In the Now

"Marinette."

The end of her pencil tapped softly against her chin as she tried to focus on the blank journal in front of her.

"Marinette?" the voice called again, and it was harder to ignore as it floated closer to her ear.

Filling out her diary on a daily basis had been so simple as a teenager. In the confines of her room, Tikki had always been quiet and given her all the privacy she needed.

Now, however? Trying to recount the morning's chaotic events as a twenty-two-year-old was a bit more difficult with an impatient cat hovering above her head.

"Marineeeeeettee..." Plagg finally plopped down, draping his limp body over her shoulder with a loud whine. "I'm hungry, and Adrien threw out all the cheese!"

Marinette took in a slow breath through her nose and let it out as a soft sigh, gently fiddling with the loose ends of her hair with her free hand. "He didn't throw it out, I saw him put some away in a sealed container."

Plagg immediately perked up and flew around to face her. "Where?"

"Top cabinet," Marinette answered, pointing over her shoulder. "Farthest from the fridge."

Plagg zipped away, flying low over the marble counter that separated the living room from the open kitchen. He only paused for a moment before taking off again, almost ramming into the sleek can lights that hung from the ceiling. 

"Make sure it's not the smelly kind!" she called after him as he disappeared into the cabinet. Whatever response he gave was muffled through the polished wood.

Marinette glanced down at her journal again, the page void of anything aside from the day's date and a small reminder scribbled in the top corner that read, 'Exam tomorrow.'

"Incoming video call from Alya Césaire."

Marinette practically jumped off the sofa at the combination of the voice suddenly emitting from the flat-screen on the wall and her phone vibrating loudly atop the glass coffee table in front of her. She glanced between her cell and the TV before hesitantly mumbling, "Oh, uh... Francis, answer, please?"

The screen promptly flashed to life, and Alya's face popped up, the video bordered on both sides by black to fit the vertical view from Alya's phone. "Marinette! You had me worried, girl!"

"About what?" Marinette asked, trying to recall the last time she'd seen Alya. It had been the day before... "Oh! Right."

"You forgot?" Alya laughed at that. "Even if I hadn't seen it on the news, Adrien called just about everyone in a panic."

Marinette groaned and slapped her forehead. "Everyone...?" She quickly waved her hands in front of her at the concern that crossed Alya's face. "I'm perfectly fine! Nothing to worry about!"

"Are you sure?" Alya's mouth formed a small frown, her eyes seeming to search her friend for any signs that said otherwise. "Rose was under the impression that you'd had a concussion or something. They don't usually admit people to the emergency clinic for routine check-ups."

"That was..." Marinette's voice faded, uncertain about how much she wanted to explain. "Well... The doctors apparently prioritize certain patients when Chat Noir carries someone into the building himself."

"He didn't?" Alya gasped, trying—and failing—to stifle her widening grin.

"He did." Marinette nodded solemnly, resting her head in her hand. "He almost followed after me before he realized that he was still transformed."

"You didn't warn him?" Alya quirked an eyebrow. "You must have been pretty out of it not to notice _that."_

"Actually..." Marinette drummed her fingers against her cheek as she hesitated again. "I was... a bit out of commission?" She averted her eyes when she saw Alya's gaze widening. "He had to remove my earrings because I wasn't awake to de-transform."

"Marinette!" She winced beneath Alya's sharp reprimand. "That's not _'perfectly fine!'"_

"It was the akuma's fault!" Marinette tried to argue, her attention flitting to the side of Alya's head where a pen floated up on its own in the background, most likely Trixx, drawn over by the commotion. "He turned the whole of Paris into a sauna. I wasn't the only one that wound up in the hospital because of it!"

"Ugh, you're going to be the death of me." Alya rubbed her forehead before turning a stern look back on Marinette. "So, if you were in the hospital, who used the Miraculous Ladybug? Everything was fixed once the akuma was taken care of."

"Well, he had my earrings," Marinette pointed out. "Once a few of the others arrived, Adrien took care of _that_ himself. It's not his first run as Mister Bug."

"Right," Alya said with a nod, quirking an eyebrow with a knowing smirk. "But he didn't leave you alone, did he? I know Adrien had classes to run to..." Her face moved closer to the screen as if she might be able to peer around the living room. "And you're making sure to drink plenty of water?"

"Yes, _maman."_ Marinette giggled while Alya stuck out her tongue in response. "And I'm not alone, Plagg's with me."

As if his name had summoned him, the kwami in question floated over her shoulder carrying a chunk of cheese.

"Plagg!" Alya snapped when she caught sight of the floating wedge. "That better not be camembert!"

"What's the fuss?" Plagg griped, making a face and flattening his ears. "It's only gouda! Not stinky at all like the far superior and gourmet taste that is ooey gooey camembert!" He let out a pitiful whine, dramatically draping a paw over his forehead before tossing the cheese slice up and catching it to swallow in one gulp.

"He says, 'It's not,'" Marinette supplied instead.

Alya rolled her eyes, but quick enough, her smile returned. "So I guess Adrien went ahead with his little idea?" She gave Marinette a wink. "Not surprised. Red and black really does _suit_ him."

"You've been out on too many patrols together," Marinette groaned.

"How long does he want to swap?" Alya pointed in Plagg's general direction with her free hand, still holding her phone with the other. "Do I have to worry about changing my blog to 'The Bug Blog?'" She tapped her chin and scrunched up her face. "Or does 'Mister Blog?' sound better?"

Marinette wrinkled her nose, not really liking either option. 'The Ladyblog' just had that perfect ring to it, but it didn't make much sense since Adrien was no lady, and didn't call himself as such with the ladybug miraculous. While she paused to think of an answer, something loud hummed past her window. Alya jumped to attention, and the video skewed at an angle as she hilariously tried to see through the screen.

"Was that a news helicopter? It's not a second akuma in one day, is it?" Marinette heard Alya complain as she quickly straightened the image. “Someone’s not playing around.”

"Unfortunately, when Ladybug fainted, everything was caught on the broadcast this morning." Marinette stood up and moved to the glass balcony doors, watching the aircraft maneuver over the city. "I would be more surprised if anyone didn’t try taking advantage of it." Marinette tilted her head and winked. "I should let you go. You want to get a good scoop, right?"

"Right." Alya nodded before looking over her shoulder where the pen was still floating. "Catch you later, girl! Don't faint again!"

Alya didn't give her a chance to respond before the screen went dark and the automated voice declared, "Call ended."

"Aaah!" Plagg flopped onto the top of the couch while Marinette settled down beside him. "It feels nice to sit back and let the other heroes handle things for a change."

"I'm sure you're loving it." Marinette smiled before calling out, "Francis? Turn on the living room TV and change it to TVi News, please?"

"Turning the television on to TVi News. There is currently an on-going report of an akuma attack." The screen switched back on quickly, where a news helicopter was en-route to try and get a good view of the unfortunate victim.

"Thank you, Francis."

"You don't have to be polite with it." Plagg lazily floated over to the small speaker set into the wall and balanced against its sleek edge. "Francis, order me some more camembert, would ya?"

"Sorry, I can't do that," the robotic assistant answered, picking up Plagg's voice command thanks to some finagling from Max and a mix of Miraculous magic. "Parental controls have been adjusted, and camembert was added to the list of restricted items that I cannot purchase."

"What!?" Plagg shouted.

"Plagg." Marinette frowned at him. "I'm trying to listen."

Plagg grumbled to himself while he returned to the couch, plopping down next to Marinette and glaring at the screen. She tried to repress her giggle as she patted the moping kwami atop his head before focusing her attention on the TV. The camera's view soared over Paris as the helicopter followed after two small figures moving across the rooftops in the distance.

She could hear Nadja Chamak reporting on the action, but she didn't need the narration to know that the red-spotted figure using his yo-yo was Mister Bug, already on the scene. The news crew wasn't close enough to see clearly, even with the camera's zoom, so the reporter kept incorrectly referring to the hero as Ladybug.

"Huh, he must have been in the area," Plagg mumbled, leaving his spot on the couch to float up closer to the television. He nearly flipped upside down as he made a show of tilting his head. "Does he look shorter to you?"

"How can you..." Marinette started to respond, but her voice trailed off as she stared at the second figure in the frame, noticing that he was waving a weapon that was clearly a silver baton. "Is... Is that _Chat Noir?"_

Marinette quickly leapt up from the couch in her surprise, and the news crew zoomed in on the two heroes that were clearly a _female_ Ladybug and a _male_ Chat Noir fighting against a white and blue clad villain.

"That's impossible!" Marinette squeaked out, turning to Plagg to find him staring at the screen with a stunned expression on his face. "You're here! And if Adrien has the Ladybug earrings..."

"Uh oh," Plagg groaned.

Marinette dove for her phone, quickly scrolling to her contacts while chanting, "Pick up, pick up, pick up!"

Thankfully, after only two rings, Alix answered the call.

"We have a problem!" Marinette immediately shouted, not giving Alix any chance to say hello. "And I think It's a _time_ problem!"

"Wait, are you serious?" Alix's voice sounded incredulous. "But... The burrow hasn't reacted. _Fluff_ _!_ _"_ Her voice faded as she must have turned her head to shout for the kwami. "Time problem! Are you sensing anything?"

"Turn on the news," Marinette said, but Alix must have been one step ahead, because she heard a soft curse from her friend as Nadja's faint voice created a stereo effect from the two TVs.

"Okay, either Mister bug is in a _very_ convincing wig, or there is definitely something out of whack with the time-stream, because you haven't worn pigtails in forever."

"We might just need to take a closer look to figure this out," Marinette proposed.

"Yeah, I—wait, _we?"_ Alix yelped. "Nuh, uh! Adrien already told me about this morning. You stay home!"

"I know, yes!" Marinette groaned, almost snapping with agitation. It wasn't as if she was in any danger. The doctor had let her go with a clean-bill of health! "I _promise_ , I'm not going to get involved!"

"You better not!" Alix barked. "I'll head that way and see if I can meet with anyone else. _We_ will handle this. Peace out!" With that, the line disconnected, and Marinette closed her phone with a disgruntled sigh, rubbing her hands against her forehead.

It wasn't as if she didn't trust anyone else to get the job done, it was just so frustrating not being able to _do_ anything. And waiting! She just hated that she was stuck at home, waiting for updates rather than being able to take action herself.

She dropped down next to Plagg on the couch and let out a huffy breath.

"They'll do fine." Plagg rolled onto his back and crossed his legs as he reclined leisurely. "Even if Adrien didn't have the earrings, _technically_ you'll still be there. Well, if it really is your past-self out there, but same difference, right?"

"Yes. Sure. Great," Marinette grumbled. "I feel much better because of a _technicality."_ She suddenly straightened up and eyed Plagg curiously as the wheels began to turn in her head. "You know," she started quietly. "If I watch from a distance, I'm not _technically_ fighting any villains..."

"Oh, no!" Plagg cried, zipping up in front of her and pointing an accusatory paw at her. "I'm under strict orders to stay with you _here!_ And didn't you just promise that you wouldn't go?"

"Since when do you do what you're told?" Marinette smiled at him mischievously. "Besides, I promised I wouldn't get involved, and I'm not. I'll just observe from a far-off vantage point, safe and sound." She stood up and lifted her fists. "Plagg—"

"Marinette!" Plagg shouted in warning, zipping off the couch and trying to escape to the balcony.

He didn't get very far before Marinette yelled, "Claws out!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just mentioning that if you're on tumblr, [so am I! Just click this link.](https://nolawombat.tumblr.com/) I mostly post updates for all my fics, and occasionally reblog ML related content/fun stuff that I like.
> 
> I will also note that if you're re-reading, I love that you've enjoyed it enough to do so! Thank you for the warm fuzzies! But you'll probably notice a few slight changes and small tweaks. Nothing that changes the story at all, I'm just updating a bit of things that bug me as I re-read myself to prepare for an upcoming update.


	2. Foresight

Marinette didn't think it was a good idea to follow after the akuma, even if that meant the villain might escape them for a time. But Chat Noir caught Foresight's arm at the last second, only following their plan to snatch the wrist watch that appeared to house the corrupted butterfly. The akuma wound up dragging him along as she fled into the mysterious hole that the device summoned.

It wasn't normal for her to leap into a hazardous situation without a plan, but Marinette couldn't just let her partner get pulled into a mysterious void! So she did the only thing she could think of in that split second and tossed her yo-yo around Chat's ankle before he could disappear.

Either the akuma was stronger than she had expected, or the ominous worm hole was a force that she could not fight. Whatever the case, it wound up yanking her in as well.

One instantaneous trip through the blinding tunnel, and Marinette found herself blinking into the gentle light of a radiant Paris day, much like the one she had just left behind. The scenery had changed slightly, as they only wound up half-way across the city, yet something still felt... peculiar.

"Seriously? Nothing looks different. How am I supposed to find Ladybug and Chat Noir's weakness _here?"_

Marinette turned her gaze around right as Foresight shouted, bringing her attention to the adjacent rooftop where the villain fiddled with her watch, her geared outfit making her look like a grand prix driver. "And you two tagging along drained nearly _all_ of my energy!?" She dropped her arm and waved it in front of her in frustration. "I wasted so much time collecting it!"

"Looks like you didn't have the _foresight_ to plan ahead," Chat Noir said with a teasing smirk.

"Chat Noir..." Marinette groaned with a roll of her eyes. "Focus, please? We still have to get that watch away from her."

"After you, milady." Chat Noir pulled his baton forward and crouched into a fighting stance.

"Always the gentleman." She smiled and buckled the red and black spotted belt that had come out of her lucky charm around her waist. While she hadn't been able to figure out a plan yet, that didn't mean one wouldn't come to her during the fight.

Quickly tossing out her yo-yo, Marinette gave it a tug as Foresight jumped back along the roof. "Cut her off before she can collect enough energy to try and escape again!"

As they gave chase along the rooftops, Marinette could hear the low thrum of a helicopter in the background, but she didn't let that distract her from the task at hand. She was used to the news crews trying to get close enough for a scoop, and while it was slightly annoying, at least they had the decency to keep out of the heroes' way.

What she didn't expect was the sight of a familiar-looking yo-yo zipping up from an alley and catching Foresight by the foot. As the akuma face-planted onto the slanted roof ahead of them, Marinette lurched to a halt, following the weapon with her eyes as it retracted before slinging out again and pulling with it a tall, red and black clad figure to land nearby.

"Well, well, looks like I got here... just in..." The playful tone of the older man's voice faded into astonishment as his gaze moved from the akuma to the two heroes standing in front of him. "Ma—Lady... bug?"

"Wait..." Chat Noir stumbled up beside Marinette wearing a confused look that mirrored her own. "Are there _two_ akuma?"

Shaking off her surprise, Marinette's eyes swept over the tall figure in a Ladybug-like costume, quickly taking in the unruly mop of blond hair, bright green eyes and specific suit design. She recognized it as the same pattern that Chat Noir's had taken that time when they'd accidentally switched their miraculous. "Mister Bug?" she breathed out in astonishment.

"Not possible!" Chat Noir yelped, flexing his claws as if unsure whether or not to prepare for an attack. "I'm right here, and you still have your earrings! How do we know this guy isn't just some trick?"

The other Ladybug's eyes—or rather, Mister Bug’s—seemed to widen in understanding as he pointed in Foresight's direction. "Is this another time akuma?"

 _"Two_ Ladybugs?" Foresight's voice startled them, and they all turned to see her crouched on the roof, her fierce gaze jumping between each of them. "What's going on!? Hawk Moth! The power you gave me was supposed to prepare me for this!"

"Excuse me? The name's _Mister_ Bug!" He pulled out his yo-yo and tossed it into the air, shouting, "Lucky Charm!" and quickly caught the object that appeared, holding it up with a puzzled look. "A screwdriver? What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Okay." Chat Noir tapped his chin as he narrowed his eyes. "I guess he's a _little_ believable as a future me."

"Wait! That's it!" Marinette shouted and jumped forward to grab the screwdriver in the same moment she took the belt from around her waist. But before she could act on the plan that sprung into her mind, Foresight's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"That sounds reasonable." The purple outline of a butterfly mask hovered over her helmet as she lifted an arm. "I'm not prepared for this fight anyway."

"Don't let her escape!" Mister Bug yelled, swinging his yo-yo out, but it missed its mark as Foresight opened a portal and jumped out of the way, the hole closing quickly behind her. He cursed when his weapon's string coiled around the empty air.

"Great," Chat Noir grumbled. "She could be anywhere, or _when_ , I guess. And what place or time does that leave us?"

"I think she's still in _this_ time," Marinette said as Mister Bug stepped over. Without the akuma to distract them, she couldn't help but notice that he was at least a head taller than her own partner. His mask obviously obscured all of the details, but if she had to guess from height alone, Foresight had somehow pulled them at least a year or two into the future. "She said it took almost all of her energy to bring us here, so I don't think she had enough left to jump through time again so soon."

After sizing him up, her eyes lingered on the earrings, but she quickly pushed aside her curiosity. Now wasn't the time to wonder _why_ her future partner had _her_ miraculous.

Marinette's own earrings chose that moment to beep, right as a very Rena Rouge-like figure leapt up onto the edge of the rooftop. "Did I already miss—" Her eyes widened as they landed on Marinette and Chat Noir. "Or not? Why is there a Mini-Bug and Kitten?"

"Kitten?" Chat Noir wrinkled his nose at the nickname and eyed his future-self standing beside him, looking like he might have been comparing their heights. "Excuse me, I'm not _that_ short."

"It looks like this akuma has the ability to travel through time." Mister Bug pointed a thumb back at the two of them. "And my past-self and his Lady got pulled along with her."

"Okay, but they're _still here."_ Rena Rouge spread her hands out. "And _where's_ the akuma?"

"I think Hawk Moth convinced her to pull back for some reason," Marinette explained as she stepped forward, setting aside her surprise at meeting a future hero that was most likely Alya beneath the fox mask. Obviously, the future had changed quite a bit. "She said she wasn't prepared, and then disappeared into one of her portals."

"Hawk Moth?" Rena Rouge appeared confused for a moment before her expression suddenly shifted into understanding and she nodded, sharing a quick look with Mister Bug. "Right, _'Hawk Moth.'_ Yes."

Marinette wondered a bit at her odd reaction, but very quickly her attention snapped to a portal as it opened up on their roof. She only relaxed when Bunnyx stepped out and approached the group, resting her parasol against her shoulder. "Looks like we meet again, Mini-Bug. Kitty Noir." She nodded to each of them, respectively. "Which is weird, because the time-line doesn't seem to be broken at all."

"How does that make sense?" Mister Bug asked, waving a hand in her and Chat Noir's direction. "They're clearly a past-me and Ladybug."

"Well, you don't remember doing anything like this as a kid, right?" Bunnyx pointed out. "I feel like that's something you would have told me before, if so."

"I guess." Mister Bug placed a hand on his chin. "But you're right. I don't recall anything like this happening in the past."

A black-suited figure seemed to fall out of nowhere and gracefully landed right next to Mister Bug. Considering who had the Ladybug Miraculous, Marinette wasn't surprised to see Lady Noire straighten up beside him, confirming that their future selves had indeed switched miraculous for some reason. "I don't remember visiting my own future like this either."

"Lady—!?" Mister Bug's face contorted into panic before a fierce expression quickly took over his features. "What are you doing out here!?"

Marinette felt Chat Noir stiffen uncomfortably beside her, and she exchanged a concerned look with him, the two seeming to share the same thought. It was hard to miss the angry tone in Mister Bug's voice. Could their future-selves be having a disagreement? It wouldn't have been the first time, but this felt different, because she had never seen _that_ intense look on Chat's face before.

Lady Noire raised her hands up in front of her. "I didn't get involved in the fight! I only watched from a distance."

Marinette's earrings let out a small beep again, and the noise seemed to stir the adults out of whatever was going on between them.

"Now _that's_ a sound I haven't heard in a while," Rena Rouge mused with a smile.

Marinette glanced down at her lucky charm. "If I use my power, will it return us and the akuma back to our own time?"

"It could..." Bunnyx mused softly. "Although time stuff tends to be messy. It might only work if there's a way open from the place that you came from, like one of my Burrow holes."

"Then just open The Burrow?" Rena offered, but Bunnyx was already shaking her head.

"This doesn't feel right. Fluff didn't sense anything wrong with the time-line, which means I can't pin-point when they came from before Mini-bug changes back—" Marinette's earrings beeped frantically, displaying the last spot "—which will be in about five-seconds if we don't hurry."

"Shoot!" Lady Noire darted forward and grabbed Marinette around her waist, pulling her over to another rooftop and dashing behind a chimney right as her earrings gave their final signal. She de-transformed in her older-self's arms, holding out her cupped hands to catch an exhausted Tikki.

"That was close," Lady Noire sighed, setting Marinette down so she could dig a cookie out of her purse. While Lady Noire eyed her kwami with a soft smile, she pulled out her baton and popped open the communicator. "So, what's the working theory here? Any way to get our younger selves home?"

Bunnyx's voice answered back. "The akuma's power brought them here, so it's safe to assume that’s the only reasonable way for them to return to their own time."

"She called herself, 'Foresight,'" Marinette offered up, and Lady Noire nodded while repeating that for the rest of her team.

"That makes more sense... Maybe she can look ahead by visiting her future?" Bunnyx asked. "But what exactly were they trying to find out here?"

Marinette stepped closer to Lady Noire so the others could hear her. "What was it that the akuma said? Wasn't she trying to find our weakness?"

"That's right!" Chat's voice exclaimed through the baton. "She might have been looking for something to get the upper hand?"

"Weakness?" Rena Rouge asked before she suddenly yelped. "Oh! Oh, wait! Today! This morning! It has to be _that!"_

Marinette noticed Lady Noire stiffen, and when her older-self glanced back at her, her expression looked... concerned? "I don't think we should reveal anything in front of our past-selves, but yes. Let's go with _that."_

"Alright, then Rena's definitely onto something," Bunnyx added. "Because I don't think it's a coincidence that they wound up in _this_ time either. Especially after _someone_ couldn't keep their big mouth shut yesterday."

"I can’t help but feel that you’re directing that at someone specific," Mister Bug's voice flatly stated through the communicator.

Marinette tried to ignore the obscure details of the conversation, but it was difficult to tune out when their voices were coming out loud and clear with her future-self standing right next to her. It took all of her willpower to just concentrate on Tikki as her kwami finished up her cookie.

"And I don't think this is a topic we should continue talking about in front of the mini-heroes," Rena Rouge added, seeming to mirror Marinette's thoughts.

Lady Noire placed a clawed hand on her forehead and sighed, closing the baton before turning to Marinette. "Is Tikki recharged?"

"Ready!" Tikki answered with an energetic nod.

"Good, get suited up again." Marinette must have looked upset, because Lady Noire placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and assured her, "Don't worry, we'll figure this out and get you two home."

"Right." Marinette nodded before calling out, "Spots on!"

When she landed back on the rooftop next to Chat Noir, Rena Rouge and Bunnyx appeared to be in a heated discussion about time-paradoxes and portals.

"If the mini-heroes left the past, then this future shouldn't exist at all, but we're still here, even though you all don't have the protection of The Burrow."

"And you can't take them back through one of your tunnels?" Rena asked.

"If I do, it could throw off the time-line, because the akuma's still here, and the Miraculous Ladybug—or Mister Bug—isn't going to fix _that_ until the job's done," Bunnyx explained. "We should concentrate on purifying the akuma first. That should set them neatly back in their own time from the point where the akuma dragged them through."

"Okay, that all makes sense. I think..." Chat Noir trailed off with a confused look, then pointed between Mister Bug and Lady Noire. "So, uh... Call me a curious cat, but can you explain why you two have swapped miraculous?"

Lady Noire scratched at her ear and exchanged a glance with Mister Bug before responding. "Chat—I mean—Mister Bug is... helping. I got into a bit of a situation and couldn't perform my usual duties."

"Situation?" Mister Bug spluttered beside her. "You're recovering! We switched so you could rest instead of showing up here and getting involved!"

"Ah-ah!" Rena Rouge stepped between them, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "Cool it. I know you're worried, but it's probably not the best time for a spat." She tilted her head in Marinette and Chat Noir's direction. "We don't know how any information about our present could affect your younger selves' time when they return."

"Convenient." Mister Bug's expression narrowed at Lady Noire as he folded his arms. She simply shot him a glare.

"Rena's right," Bunnyx pointed out. "The akuma's gone into hiding. Fa— _Hawk Moth_ is probably cooking up some nefarious scheme. In the meantime, Lady Noire goes home, as we are _not_ having a repeat of this morning."

"Right. _Fine."_ Lady Noire sighed, but she nodded in agreement.

"What happ—" Chat Noir started, but Marinette grabbed his upper arm and shook her head slightly when he turned to her. Now wasn't the place or time to ask questions. She knew he didn't like secrets, but she also knew how important it was to keep things like this under wraps.

She knew she couldn't dig into anything that revealed more than they had already seen, even if she was super curious to find out as well. Knowing even such a vague reason as to _why_ they had swapped miraculous might have been dangerous enough, and she couldn't help the small cloud of worry that formed in her mind. The older heroes didn't appear overly concerned, but something bad appeared to have happened to take Ladybug—her future self—out of duty for a while.

"And," Bunnyx continued, pointing at Marinette. "We need to figure out what to do with the mini-heroes."

"Can't they help?" Mister Bug asked. "It's technically their akuma."

"Right!" Chat Noir raised his fists. "We need to track her down so we can get back to our own time!"

"That might be risky," Lady Noire mused quietly. "Running around the future? You might learn something you don't need to know yet and change everything as a result." She then smiled, turning to Mister Bug as her voice came out almost sounding like a purr. "And you don't want to risk changing this time-line, do you, bugga-boy?"

Mister Bug stiffened as if he'd been struck, a panicked look crossing his face. "Okay, no past-selves loose in Paris, got it."

"So what do we do?" Bunnyx folded her arms over her chest. "We can't just take them home, right?" She quickly shrugged. "Well, _I_ can't. With my house-keeping skills, there's way too much sensitive information lying around that they don't need to know."

"Oh! My place is perfectly fine and non-revealing of future stuff!" Rena Rouge jumped up with an excited look. "I call dibs on Mini-bug!"

"Wait, why?" Mister Bug asked with a confused look.

"Because _my_ future hasn't changed as much as yours," Rena pointed out with a grin. "And we're already good with our identities, so staying with me won't change anything."

"Wait," Marinette straightened up at that, staring at Rena—or rather, Alya—with a slight mix of wonder and fear. "You... _You know who I am?"_

"Good one, Rena," Bunnyx grumbled as she clapped slowly. _"That_ hasn't happened in their time yet."

"Hey! Still doesn't change anything!" Rena Rouge shouted back. "They have to stay somewhere, and knowing that _I_ eventually find out shouldn't alter anything... I think." She then jerked her thumb in Chat's direction. "Now we just have to figure out who the kitten stays with."

"Do you have to keep calling me 'kitten?'" Chat Noir pouted.

Lady Noire giggled softly, then quieted when she cleared her throat. "I can't keep him for obvious identity reasons."

"Uh, unfortunately," Mister Bug started. "He can't come with me, either." His eyes shot to Lady Noire, a strange look on his face. "My living situation would be a little _too_ revealing of future information."

Marinette blinked, wondering what _that_ meant. She obviously didn't know much about Chat Noir outside of his addiction to puns and love of video games, but she still found his future-self's reaction... suspicious?

Lady Noire hummed softly and eyed Mister Bug. "I think... you should take him home."

"What?" Mister Bug blinked back at her. "Are you sure?"

 _"Paw_ -sitive," Lady Noire answered with a smile, and Marinette jolted at the pun coming from _her future-self._ Granted, she wasn't against the occasional joke, but the over-used bit was one that Chat Noir was constantly recycling and would have had Marinette groaning. Was it the cat-suit that turned all of its holders into jokesters? "Just take him back to _your_ place and tidy up before he goes in," her older self continued. "And be sure to lock a few doors."

 _They know each other._ Marinette realized, her eyes growing wide. We _know each other! We learn each other's identities!?_

"What about—err..." His eyes quickly darted in Chat Noir’s direction, something peculiar flashing through them. "You'll get home alright?"

"Don't worry about me, I can get to my place just fine." Lady Noire waved a hand his way before winking at him. "This cat isn't a stray."


	3. Two is a Crowd

After figuring out their temporary living arrangements, Marinette left the other heroes and followed Rena Rouge across the city, eventually landing on the roof of a modern looking apartment complex. While it didn’t have the quaint style that was particular to France’s more historical buildings, it did have a nice view.

Marinette was only able to appreciate the scenery for a brief moment when Rena surprised her with a soft, "Let's rest." In a flash, her suit disappeared, leaving Alya standing there in a flannel shirt and jeans, with Trixx hovering over her shoulder.

It wasn’t as if she was shocked to see her friend all-grown-up. She obviously already knew who Rena Rouge was behind the mask. Yet… Marinette couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of unease about it.

"This is... It's okay, right?" Marinette asked softly, and Alya offered her a comforting smile in return.

"It's alright." Alya nodded, her voice gentle, as if she already understood why she was so hesitant; and maybe she really, truly did. It only made sense if they were still so close as allies and friends. "I know it's you, Marinette."

Another moment of quiet passed before Marinette said, "Spots off," and Tikki flew away to meet Trixx between them, the two kwami spinning around one another with soft giggles.

"Sorry." Marinette rubbed her elbow as she stared at the roof. "It's... I'm not used to _anyone_ knowing who I am. Not outside of Master… Fu...” Her voice softly trailed off and she looked up at Alya curiously. “Can I ask how you found out?"

"Circumstances called for it," Alya simply answered, placing her hand on Marinette's shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You'll know when it's the right time."

 _Circumstances, huh?_ Marinette repeated to herself, knowing it was pointless to ask for more than that. It was enough information to make her wonder _why,_ because in her time, Alya’s identity had been compromised. She couldn’t use the fox miraculous safely anymore… So how…?

Her mind briefly wondered back to Alya's odd reaction to Hawk Moth’s name, but Marinette quickly shook those thoughts from her head while her friend pulled her phone out and started tapping at the screen. "I've just got to warn you though, I have a roommate. But it’s okay, he's a pretty cool dude." Alya winked at her.

"W-wait…” Marinette practically squeaked as she processed that information. “You live with a guy?" She couldn’t help the apprehensive feeling that bubbled up again. There were too many questions of _who, what, where, when…?_ Not to mention how they were going to explain Marinette’s presence to him. If she was still Alya’s friend, wouldn’t he know her?

Alya nodded with a laugh, then motioned for Marinette to follow her down through the roof access door and into the building, their two kwami diving to hide in their respective pockets. They only descended two flights when Alya led her out of the stairwell and down a beige hallway that smelled too strongly of some sort of cleaning agent. She came to a stop in front of a door somewhere in the middle.

Alya didn't even get a chance to take out her keys when the door suddenly swung open, and Marinette practically jumped out of her skin at the sudden figure that burst through.

"Woah! Sorry, dudette!" Nino stumbled away with his hands raised. "Didn't think I'd startle you like that."

"Nino?" Marinette glanced at Alya with wide eyes, feeling the wall pressed up against her back. She must have wound up there in her panic. Pressing a hand against her chest, she let out a small sigh. “Sorry, I’m just… jumpy. I don’t know much, obviously, but just being here is _a lot_ to absorb.”

"So I take it you got my text, babe?" Alya strolled over to Nino and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before moving into the apartment. "Hope you don't mind that I offered our place for her to stay."

"’Course not!" Nino shook his head and stepped aside to let Marinette pass, bending at his waist in a low bow. "Mi casa es su casa, and that goes double for friends—even mini versions."

After Nino closed the door behind them, Wayzz flew over from a small kitchen to stop in front of Marinette and put his flippers together, dipping his head forward in a respective greeting. "It is good to see you again, young guardian."

A look of panic crossed Nino's face as he waved his hands around wildly. "Wait, little dude! She doesn't, uh... Things might not be like that... yet. I mean, I dunno, maybe?"

Wayzz turned around to face Nino. "Do not worry. We kwami have a sense for this kind of information. Though she is not from our time, we still know when _that_ particular responsibility has been passed on."

"Ah." Nino nodded and raised a hand to scratch his chin, a sad look on his face. "So Master Fu is already gone."

"Nino!" Alya hissed, her wide eyes flicking to Marinette.

Nino followed her gaze, and he started when he realized. "S-sorry! I forgot it might have been recent for you." He stretched his arms behind his head. "It's been years for us. Not that _we—_ " his hand waved between himself and Alya "—knew him at… uhm… I should probably shut up."

"I-it's okay." Marinette didn't feel upset—she didn’t think—but her voice broke all the same. "It's what he was training me... for..." She turned her head, surprised when she felt her eyes sting with tears.

"Oh, girl." Alya stepped forward, and Marinette leaned against her as her older friend pulled her into a tight hug. "I know it's hard, and I'm sorry we couldn't be there for you back then." She eventually shifted around and held Marinette at arm's length, gripping her shoulders. "Right now, you just relax and not worry about anything miraculous-related, because we'll handle everything."

Marinette rushed forward to hug her again, and Alya squeezed her back. After a quiet moment, she felt a tap on her shoulder, and Marinette unburied her face from Alya’s shoulder to see Nino smiling at her.

"So uh, maybe we could chill out for a bit?" He adjusted his hat and gave her a wide grin. "It’s been a while since I’ve had a game night."

"You just want to see if you can beat a less experienced Marinette, don't you?" Alya smirked.

"I neither confirm nor deny that accusation." Nino put his hands together as if to pray, seemingly to try and appear innocent. "But playing a game of Ultimate Mecha Strike is a pretty good way of taking anyone’s mind off of things."

As Nino showed her to the room with the entertainment system, Marinette wiped at her eyes with a smile. Even though she knew almost nothing about this future, she let go of those little concerns flitting around her head. For the moment, it didn't appear to be anything she needed to worry about.

∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙

  
  


Adrien landed with a soft thump on the rooftop, quickly straightening up and turning his back to the balcony doors like Mister Bug had instructed him to do on the way here. A pink glow flashed behind him, and once the light had faded, Adrien softly called out, “Claws in.”

“Hmm, pretty ritzy place you got, kid.” Plagg grinned mischievously as he hovered in front of Adrien, peering over his shoulder. “But it looks a bit roomy for just one person.”

“Plagg!” Tikki flew around to sternly glare at his kwami. "We told you not to look until Adrien had a chance to clean up!”

“Relax, sugarcube.” Plagg reclined in the air, resting his head against his paws. “You know I can keep a secret. Besides, I don’t see anything incriminating.”

“Plaaaagg...” Tikki’s tone was drenched with warning as her expression narrowed.

As fascinating as it was to watch the kwami pair interact, something that he had never seen before, he was reminded of a small concern that had been bothering him. “So uh, if we’re both staying in the same place, won’t it get a bit... you know... confusing between us?”

“Well, we’ll know who we’re talking to if it’s just each other,” his older-self said from behind him. “But I guess it would get a bit weird for our kwami or any of the other heroes if they meet us without the suits.”

“I’ll stick with ‘kid’ for my chosen,” Plagg said. “And maybe… Hmm… ‘Mister’ for the future version?”

“Mr. Adrien?” Tikki tried. “If we want to specify to whom we’re speaking, it can work.”

Mr. Adrien—that sounded weird, even in his head—laughed at that. “Technically, I’m the ‘present’ Adrien, since I’m in my own time, but because I’m Mister Bug with the earrings, either would be a good distinction.”

“Hey!” Adrien exclaimed when he had a thought, grinning mischievously. “How about, _‘Old_ -rien?’”

Tikki giggled while he heard a groan from his older-self. “While I appreciate the pun, I’m decreeing we stick with ‘Mister’ or ‘Present Adrien,’ thank you. ‘Oldrien’ makes me sound like an old man, and I’m still young.” Footsteps shuffled along the balcony before Adrien heard a door open. “Now, just stay here while I get everything cleaned up. Tikki, can you help me?"

"Of course!" Tikki flew off after Present Adrien—which still sounded as weird as the alternative they’d come up with—and the door shut quietly behind them.

Adrien passed the time by marveling at the view, not surprised that his future self had found a place high above the city skyline. It was something he could see at any point just by transforming, but even when running around the rooftops as a hero, he never grew tired of admiring it.

And the small garden visible in his peripheral on the rooftop balcony was a delight and a surprise. He could see a few small bonsai trees out of the corner of his vision, while potted planters hung along the railing before him with red roses spotting the bushes. It reminded him of the flowers that Marinette had on her own balcony.

 _I wonder what my future friends are up to_ , Adrien thought to himself.

About twenty minutes later, Present Adrien returned to fetch him, and Adrien eventually stepped into the lavish apartment that would be his future home. His father's mansion was such a huge place, wide and empty. Ever since his mother had disappeared, it had lost any sort of homely feel.

The apartment however, had a lived-in look, despite being quite large and open. The living room was decorated with small tables alongside a comfortable looking sectional couch, a TV hanging on the wall and a few pleasant, colorful images scattered about the place. A set of modern stairs off to the side led to an open second floor where he could see ceiling-high bookcases and a desk that seemed suspiciously clean.

"Wow," Adrien marveled. "I can't believe father allowed me to get my own place like this."

Present Adrien laughed. "I obviously can't reveal much, but let's just say that there are a lot of things that open up for us in the future."

“I’ll say!” Plagg flopped onto the couch and bounced against the cushions. “I can explore the whole house without needing to hide!”

“You can’t just go anywhere you please!” Tikki hovered over Plagg. “You still need to stay out of the closed rooms!” When Plagg grumbled a response, she shook her head and zipped into the sparkling kitchen across the room, only to phase into a glass jar that was filled with cookies.

"When did you move in here?" Adrien turned around and asked.

Present Adrien hesitated. "I probably shouldn't say?" Although he eyed Adrien with a curious look before holding up his hands and shrugging. "I haven’t been here long, if that’s what you’re wondering. So no big changes for you anytime soon."

"Okay, but speaking of changes, something’s been bugging me for a while," Adrien started, his brows furrowing despite the accidental pun. "Is Ladybug alright? You mentioned needing to switch miraculous because of health concerns."

"Ladybug is, uh... perfectly fine," Present Adrien assured him. "I mean, she had to go to a doctor, but he said it wasn’t anything—ah..." He caught himself a little too late, and Adrien froze, unable to help his train of thoughts as they went off the rails.

"You..." Adrien pointed at his future-self, grabbing at his hair with the other hand. "You spoke with her doctor? You _know_ each other!" It clicked in his mind all too fast as he remembered bits of the heroes’ conversation before they’d left. "You know who she is! You _all_ do!"

"Hold on a minute—!" Present Adrien waved his hands wildly. "I mean, anyone could probably, uh… Shit."

Tikki popped out from the kitchen and covered her face, drawing her paws down until she turned to Present Adrien. "You’ve _really_ let the cat out of the bag this time!"

He let out a nervous chuckle at that. "At least he doesn't know _who_ she is, just that _I_ know."

Adrien took a deep breath and slowly lowered his hands, his features widening with a dazed expression. "You know... Which means... I'll know too..." He then scrunched his face up. "But wait, why would she share her identity? She's always been so stubborn about keeping it a secret."

"Things change." Present Adrien shrugged. "And circumstances allowed us to be more open once Hawk—nope, wait, _that's_ definitely confidential. Probably." He flopped back onto the couch with a sigh. "Anyway, at some point, it was impossible to hide between us, but I'm not going to say anything more about it." He leaned back and wove his hands together behind his head. "Just sit tight here until the rest of the team finds the akuma."

Adrien opened his mouth to press for more info, but Present Adrien shook his head with a stern look before he had the chance. "No further questions, but I can at least safely give you this: If you love Ladybug as much as I know you do, then it's important for her safety that you don't know her identity before you _need_ to know." He then pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen. "We can chat about unclassified things later though, right now I have a few messages to send."

Present Adrien stepped toward the hallway on the other side of the room before facing him again. "And, while I don’t think it’s necessary to state, I just want to establish that you need to stay out of any containers. I've hidden most of the incriminating stuff, so anything you can see in the apartment is okay to use or look at." Having said that, he turned with a nod and disappeared into the joining hall, Tikki flying off after him.

Adrien dropped on top of the couch and glanced around with a sigh.

"Pretty nice place, if you ask me." Plagg floated toward the kitchen area and immediately phased into a closed cupboard.

"Plagg, stop. He just told us not to snoop,” Adiren reminded him. “Plus, we're guests here."

"Technically, it's your house too!" Plagg's muffled voice came from inside the cabinet before he popped his head out. "Just in the future." He then disappeared again, seemingly unconcerned about any rules.

Adrien stood up and marched over, opening the cupboard without thinking. "Plagg! Get out!"

"But I can smell cheese in here!" his kwami whined, hovering up and carrying a small wedge in each paw before sniffing them both and making an odd face. "Yuck! This isn't camembert! What is this? Gouda? Swiss! BLECK!!!" Plagg tossed the cheese back inside. "I don't think we live here! There's no camembert at all! Just a bunch of cookies and low-grade cheeses!"

Adrien glanced back at the cookie jar curiously, thinking that it was definitely an odd choice. Maybe his future-self had put Plagg on a diet? Or at the least, while their miraculous were swapped, he had simply stocked up on supplies that Tikki preferred while the cheese went with Ladybug for Plagg.

 _Ugh, my poor lady,_ Adrien thought. There was no worse fate than smelling like camembert all day.

While he was distracted by Plagg and his shenanigans, Adrien didn't notice the soft click of the front door until it opened, and he swung around in a panic, only to watch as Nathalie strolled in. He relaxed for a split second before he remembered this wasn’t Nathalie from _his_ time, and quickly realized that trying to come up with a believable excuse for how he was there would probably be disastrous for Present Adrien.

But he didn't have time to run or find a place to hide. If he tried, surely she would have noticed and spotted him anyway. At the very least, Plagg managed to duck inside his pocket just in time, because Nathalie turned in his direction and stopped in the doorway. She didn't really have much of a reaction other than her eyes widening slightly as they moved over him. Though feeling frozen in place, his gaze did the same to her, noticing that she had a small streak of grey in her hair, but other than that, she looked like the same old Nathalie.

"Adrien?" she asked with a clear voice, an unexpected tone for someone that was meeting a past-version of the adult they knew.

"Uh..." He waved, not knowing what else to do. "Hi." He wondered if she might buy a story about him running into some age-changing akuma, but before he could spin up a tale, Present Adrien walked back into the room.

"Alright, everything seems to be..." His words trailed off as he looked up from his phone, and Adrien and Nathalie turned to stare at him. His eyes flicked between the two of them before Present Adrien groaned and slapped his forehead. "Hello, Nathalie. As you can see, we've got a bit of an akuma situation."

"Oh," Nathalie said rather calmly and closed the door behind her, carefully adjusting the bag she carried on her shoulder. Adrien couldn’t help but notice how odd it looked, because the flowery, pink fabric clashed with Nathalie’s dark suit. "I assumed that might have been the case."

"Yeah." Present Adrien rubbed the back of his neck before motioning to Adrien. "Say hello to past-me."

He waved awkwardly again while Present Adrien continued with his explanation. "We’re trying not to mess up the past, so any information regarding our current time might be a bit sensitive. We don't want to risk our younger-selves knowing too much about now."

"Selves?" Nathalie repeated, and he saw Present Adrien wince at the slip-up.

"Uh, yes." Present Adrien coughed into his hand. "Past-me and... someone else. So," he quickly began, obviously trying to change the subject. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" He curiously eyed the bag in her arm, obviously sharing the same thought about how out-of-place it seemed.

Nathalie glanced down at the large purse and shot an amused look back up at Present Adrien. "Well, I was hoping to drop this off with ‘someone else,’ but I suppose it will have to wait for now."

“I can take it instead,” Present Adrien offered. “It may be awhile before I can drop it off though.”

“No, it’s fine. I wanted to deliver it as soon as possible,” Nathalie answered while pulling out her phone. “Don’t worry, I should be able to locate—” Her eyes flicked toward Adrien. “ _—them_ , while I run a few more errands.”

"You don't want to stay?" Present Adrien asked, looking a bit disappointed. “You only just got here.”

"I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to hold much of a conversation without accidentally revealing anything." She motioned in Adrien’s direction with a tilt of her head. "But we can catch up later, maybe after the akuma gets settled. Good day, Adrien." She then turned to Adrien with a warm smile. "And Adrien." With that, she moved to leave.

When the door shut behind her, Adrien whipped around to face his future-self and immediately asked, "Do you have a roommate?"

Present Adrien seemed to freeze as he tried to form words, but only managed a few incoherent sounds before he just groaned, covering his face. He peeked from between his fingers at Tikki helplessly, who simply floated out over his shoulder and shrugged.

"Is it Nino?" Adrien tried. Wait—no, that was dumb. Unless Nino secretly liked pink, floral purses in the future.

"No! Nope!" Present Adrien shook his head and swung his arms out. "I'm not answering any more questions! Although I think it's at least safe to say that it's not Nino. He lives with—er, well... elsewhere." He tapped his fingers against his chin. "I feel like any information at this point is more than I should give away."

With the motion of his fingers, Adrien caught a quick flash of light. For a split second, he thought it was his miraculous—until he remembered that it was still with Ladybug. So his eyes flew back to the spot on his future-self’s left hand and stared, unable to remove his gaze from the gold band around his ring finger.

Tikki appeared to notice first, when her head moved between the two of them and she suddenly squeaked in surprise. "Adrien! Your ring! We forgot your ring!"

"What?" Present Adrien said. "No, my ring is still with—" His eyes widened as he glanced down at his hand before smacking his forehead with it.

"You're married?" Adrien asked with awe in his tone. "Wait! _I'm_ married! I mean... will be...?" He felt a goofy grin growing on his face. _"That's_ who Nathalie was looking for, right? Who is it? How did we...!? W-wait... It's... It's not..." His voice trailed off, hopeful... They _did_ switch miraculous, after all. That sounded like something a husband would do for his wife! But... Wait, no... She had said something about having her own place.

Present Adrien gave in with a sigh. "Okay, yes, fine. I’m married. You've already seemed to piece _that_ together." He then gave Adrien a stern look. "But I won’t say who she is, other than…” He paused over that, appearing to gather his thoughts before finally speaking, a warm smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “I married an amazing girl... And she makes me happy. But that’s _all_ you’re getting out of me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oldrien will sound familiar if you’ve read ‘A Sound of Thunder,’ by Tempomental, just so you know I’m obviously not the one that came up with that pun first! (Not that you wouldn’t, because holy cow it’s got so many thousands of views.) I used it in the draft to differentiate the two Adrien, but it obviously needed changing.
> 
> While they’ve been using nicknames for the mini-heroes when transformed, it was a bit harder to follow that scheme when it’s both Adrien and Adrien in the same room with the POV following Adrien. How confusing! Typing out ‘older-self’ all the time also just sounded weird to me? So it’s like a Future Trunks/Kid Trunks situation.
> 
> Also, chapter blooper! The word suggestion accepted ‘Present Adrien’ 99.9% of the time. But for some reason, only one of the 27 uses of it was deemed in need of a suggestion? [So I got this.](https://i.imgur.com/ouPoYC2.png)  
> Notice that it doesn’t suggest the change for any of the other ‘Present’ usages. Microsoft Word endorses Adrien for President, 2020. We could use some proper sunshine in the future.


	4. Beating Yourself Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I start to realize I hate naming chapters and regret making it a thing.

Marinette headed straight for her parents' place after leaving the rooftop with the other heroes, already having a plan in mind. She would simply stay with them for however long she needed, as they may have turned her bedroom into a guest room once she had moved out, it was still a place that she could call home.

She landed in an alley to transform back, and when she arrived at the bakery, her parents were surprised, but more than happy to accommodate her, even if she did have to reassure them that she and Adrien were _not_ having any marital issues.

Marinette explained everything away by saying that they were worried about her health. A quick story about some black mold found in the basement of their building was enough to convince them. Their apartment was extravagant, but it was still old, and could occasionally succumb to old-building problems.

In the process of talking with her parents, they realized that she didn't bring anything with her. Luckily, they accepted the excuse that she had been rushed out, not wanting to inhale spores and suffer any ill-effects. They looked up a few of the symptoms online out of curiosity, and after her medical-scare that morning, were more than insistent she not go anywhere near the apartment until it was deemed safe.

So they all took a quick trip to the store to pick up a few extra things, and Marinette eventually flopped back onto the guest bed later that afternoon, sighing contentedly while Plagg disappeared downstairs to see if he could nick some cheese bread.

Marinette pulled her phone out of her purse and discovered she had a few texts from Adrien. With all of the rushing around she had done, she must not have noticed when her phone buzzed.

 **Adrien:** So what’s your plan, milady?

 **Adrien:** Did you think of a place to stay? Are you somewhere safe?

 **Adrien:** looks like mini-me is settling in.

 **Adrien:** But he knows we know each other's identities.

Marinette paused at that one, but thinking it over, it didn't feel like anything to actually worry about. As long as he didn’t know _her_ identity, their future was safe. _No Chat Blanc is going to happen ever again,_ she thought.

Her eyes moved back over the bubbles of text.

 **Adrien:** Nathalie surprised me with a visit.

 **Adrien:** She wanted to give you something, but she saw mini-me.

 **Adrien:** Don’t worry! I let her know the akuma situation, but not too much.

Marinette sighed. At least Nathalie understood akuma attacks. _That_ wasn't new or anything to be concerned about.

 **Adrien:** Forgive me, bug, but mini-me found out we're married.

Marinette blinked at that before jolting up with a shouted, "What!?" That was the last text sent from a while ago. She immediately typed out a reply.

 **Marinette:** What happened!?

 **Adrien:** I was getting worried, Marinette. Are you okay?

 **Marinette:** Sorry. I’m fine. I’m staying with my parents tonight.

 **Adrien:** Good!

 **Marinette:** Adrien? Mini-you? What happened?

 **Adrien:** oh sorry.

 **Adrien:** It should be okay. He doesn't know we’re the ones married.

 **Adrien:** I forgot to take off my wedding band and he saw it. He just knows I'm married to someone but not who it is.

Marinette’s eyes flicked to her own band, which was nestled right next to her engagement ring. Both of them had been a part of her for a while, and aside from the occasional worry that they might slip off, she wouldn't have even thought to consider hiding them in that situation. She sighed and typed out her response.

 **Marinette:** It's okay. I probably would have forgotten too.

 **Marinette:** We’re both hopeless.

She then laid back on the bed, stretching her phone above her head.

 **Marinette:** What's past-you up to?

 **Adrien:** Playing foosball.

 **Adrien:** Past-Adrien VS Tikki!

 **Adrien:** Match of the century!

Marinette giggled softly, then waited as the dots came up to indicate that he was typing again.

 **Adrien:** I am super glad plaque is with you, because I don't know if I could handle two of him.

 **Adrien:** Plagg*

 **Marinette:** What's he doing?

 **Adrien:** He's trying to convince me to go out and buy some camembert

 **Adrien:** And I can't tell him why I’m not doing that.

Marinette hummed softly to herself, checking around to make sure _their_ Plagg wasn't in the room before typing a reply.

 **Marinette:** It's okay. You can pick up a little for him.

 **Adrien:** You sure?

 **Marinette:** Just open all the windows to air the smell out before we get back.

 **Adrien:** Okay!

 **Adrien:** g2g

 **Adrien:** Say hi to Tom and Sabine for me!

Marinette was about to respond, when her phone went off with a call from Alya. She quickly answered, "Hello? Anything wrong, Alya?"

"Just wanted to check in with you," Alya replied. "I was also curious as to where you wound up staying."

"I'm at my parents' place,'' Marinette said, scooting up along the bed to get a little more comfy. "They may have turned my old room into a guest room, but that doesn’t mean I can’t use it. Speaking of… How's _your_ guest settling in?"

"Perfectly fine,” Alya chirped. “If the rest of the team doesn't find that akuma tonight, Nino's already claimed the couch while mini-Marinette and I share the bed."

"Alya..." Marinette started, but her friend's voice interrupted before she could finish.

"Don't you dare apologize!" Alya said sharply. "Mini-Marinette already did enough of that, even when it's not either or your faults. Besides, it's basically like our sleepovers from when we were teens."

"I'm not—err... _She's_ not taking up too much space, is she? I know your place is a little, uh, tight."

"C'mon, Marinette. A fifteen-year-old you?” Alya made a raspberry-sounding noise. “It's like tossing a drop in a bucket."

"Ha-ha," Marinette said in a monotone voice. "So you're all comfortable?"

"We are." Alya's tone changed a bit at that. "Although we may have forgotten some items when trying to hide stuff, so umm... Past-you found out about a few... teeny-tiny things."

Marinette felt a dropping sensation in the pit of her stomach as she asked, "Like what?"

"Our engagement photos," Alya groaned. "We didn’t take down the ones in the hall. So mini-you knows we're getting married." She sighed. "I wish you could have heard the sound she made when she found out."

"Well, that's not _too_ terrible.” Marinette winced before lounging back on the pillows, trying to situate herself for what could be a lengthy conversation. “You know, our little kitten found out that he's married now, just not to _whom."_ She heard Alya gasp. "Besides that, it isn't really a surprise after seeing you two together for so long."

"There's... one other thing." Alya's voice sounded hesitant.

Marinette pinched her nose, feeling like they were already starting out with too much information leaking. It hadn’t even been a whole day! _"What?"_

"So yeah... Nino kind of... Challenged her to a game."

Marinette blinked in surprise. She tried to find a reason as to why that might be bad news, but couldn’t think of a way that it could be. "Okay… What about it? That sounds fun actually, and right up my alley."

"Not at first," Alya continued. "But it took us about five minutes too long to realize that Ultimate Mecha Strike IV hasn't been released in her time yet."

"Oh." Marinetted frowned, looking toward her hatch when Plagg slipped back into the room with a partially eaten piece of cheese bread in his paws. "I'm sure that won't hurt much... Remember all the online rumors? No one was surprised when it was finally announced."

"Probably not," Alya lightheartedly agreed before her voice took on a dramatic tone. "But it gets worse."

"There's _worse?"_ Marinette narrowed her eyes in suspicion, seeing as the last two things weren’t too concerning.

"Yeah!" Alya let a laugh escape. "She totally kicked Nino's butt!"

The two of them burst into laughter at that, Marinette only winding down when her stomach started to hurt. She managed to gasp out words in between her giggling. "Wait, wait! So Nino challenged past-me to Ultimate Mecha Strike IV—"

"A game she's never played before," Alya interjected.

"And lost?" Marinette finished. In the background of Alya's apartment, she heard an indignant cry, which only set the two women laughing again. When they finally quieted down, Marinette cleared her throat. "So... Who ended up taking up the search tonight for you-know-who?"

"Juleka and Rose are doing pretty well," Alya answered in a cryptic way. Past-Marinette must have been close enough to hear the conversation. "It's been a while since I've talked with them, so I could do that in a minute and call back if they have any news to share."

"Sounds good."

Marinette's tone must have seemed off when she responded, because Alya quickly asked, "Is everything alright?"

Marinette hesitated, eyes on Plagg as the kwami floated up quietly to land on the bed next to her. She reached a hand out and gently scratched at the base of his ears. He practically melted against the sheet and let out a content sigh. "I just feel like we should have more people out there to cover more ground."

"Marinette, _no."_

"What?" she asked innocently.

"I know what you're thinking," Alya started. "And you shouldn't go out there in your condition!"

"What _condition_ , Alya?" Marinette huffed, pausing with her fingers resting against Plagg’s fur. She continued after he let out a disappointed whine. "I'm not sick! I was just… I overheated thanks to that obnoxious akuma."

“Your suit would have protected you under normal circumstances,” Plagg purred out as he closed his eyes. “So it wasn’t the akuma.”

Unable to hear his explanation through the phone, Alya said at the same time, "You fainted. Which wasn’t fixed by the lucky charm. You had us all worried, girl."

"I know, I know." Marinette sighed, moving her arm to rub her forehead. Plagg followed her hand before quickly losing interest and plopping down on top of her bangs. "The adrenaline might have been too much, or I wasn't paying enough attention to myself. I was just thinking that it would help the search if they could see in the dark."

"Juleka is fine on her own!" Alya laughed. "You know she can be pretty 'catty' too."

Marinette sighed. "You really are hanging around Adrien too much."

“Hey, I’m just being creative here!” Alya cried indignantly before lowering her voice. “Mini-you is only so-so distracted by gaming and might hear something we both wouldn’t want her to know.”

A sudden shout in the background surprised her, and Marinette jolted up, wincing as Plagg yelped when she accidentally catapulted him over the bed. "Is everything alright over there?"

"Fine!" Alya chuckled. "That was just Nino's wail of defeat." She then gasped excitedly. "Hey! I've got a great idea! Do your parents still have a console at their house?"

"One that can run Ultimate Mecha Strike IV?" Marinette responded, following Alya's train of thought and giving Plagg a silent apology when he shot her an annoyed look from the floor.

"Yes! You should totally fight Mini-Marinette in an online match!"

"That _is_ a great idea!" Marinette jumped up, moving toward the hatch. "Papa has one set up in the living room. I'll be on in five!"

∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙

Alya thought it would have been more stressful on her teenage friend to be stuck in the future, trying to avoid anything that might ruin both of their time-lines. Of course, they just _had_ to forget about their own engagement photos. That one wasn’t Marinette’s fault.

And then there was the small issue of her knowing about the release of Ultimate Mecha Strike IV, but as Marinette expertly fired off another combo attack, Alya found it hard to be concerned about _that_ specific detail. Her miniature friend was concentrating too much on the match to seem worried about future woes and current stresses.

"It's getting close..." Nino murmured on the couch next to Alya, but Marinette's attention did not stray from the TV screen on the wall of their living room.

Marinette’s bot was down to a sliver of health, but so was her opponent's. They had been stuck on this stand-off for the past half-hour.

In a split second, everything shifted. Alya could see her go in for the kill, right as the other mech fired off a combo and completely destroyed the remainder of her HP. Marinette sat back with a sigh and lowered the controller.

"Whoo!" Nino flung his arms over his head. "And another victory for Future-Marinette!"

"I still think that's weird." Alya flicked her eyes in Nino's direction, managing to tear her gaze away from the screen once the fight was over. "Our Marinette is in her current time, so shouldn't we be calling this one Past-Marinette?"

"Well, Mini-Marinette here called her that, and it kinda stuck first," Nino pointed out while Alya's phone gave off a small chime with a text notification. Trixx pounced over it on the coffee table before she could look for herself.

"I'm kind of partial to Mini-Marinette." Alya smiled, turning to Trixx as her kwami read through the message. "What's up, Trixx?"

"Marinette says she's calling it a night," her kwami announced.

"What? But it's too early!" Nino cried out as he looked over at the clock. "What's the final score?"

Wayzz peeked out from behind the notepad he held, Tikki helpfully carrying the pen for him. "It was very close to an even split. Mini-Marinette won seven, while our Marinette won eight."

"Pfft. Of course she'd quit when she's ahead." Nino laughed. "Even with more experience though, it looked like Marinette had a tough time getting an edge over herself."

"Looks like she had to do some impromptu shopping earlier." Alya read from the phone as Trixx held it up in front of her. "It must have worn her out."

"Just from shopping?" Mini-Marinette turned around with a confused look.

"Well, she did just get out of the hospital this—OOF!" Nino had started to explain when Alya elbowed him in the ribs.

"I'm pretty sure that falls into the realm of 'too much information,'" Alya said with a narrowing of her eyes.

"I know I shouldn't ask about anything," Marinette started hesitantly. "But is this something I should be concerned about?"

"What? Oh, uh, no way!" Nino blurted, looking a bit panicky. "She's just, uh, caught a little bug!"

Alya rolled her eyes, not certain if he'd said that on purpose or by coincidence. "It's nothing to worry about, just a bit of a scare with an akuma from this morning."

"Hey! Let's do one more round!" Nino suddenly jumped up and grabbed the second controller, joining Marinette on the floor. "The night's still young!"

The music for a new match started up, and Nino surprisingly held his ground as he avoided an early attack from Marinette. While trying to counter though, they both managed to knock a good chunk of health off of each other’s robots.

"After that battle, Nino, can you do me a favor and start dinner?" Alya glanced at the clock on her phone. Almost 8:00 PM. "I need to make a call soon."

"Sure thing, babe," Nino answered quickly. He lifted his controller to the side while Marinette's fingers flew over the buttons. "But this fight is pretty heated, so it may take us a while to—" Nino's HP disappeared with an explosion from Marinette's bot, and the screen immediately declared him the loser.

"Alright, I'm done." Nino dropped the controller to the carpet while Marinette grinned innocently. "I'm tired of getting beaten by a kid."

"Hey!" Marinette whipped her head around. "I'm not a kid!"

"You are _so_ a kid." Alya chuckled. "To the rest of us, anyway. We haven't been fifteen for seven years."

"Whelp, kid or adult, I'm ready for some grub." Nino stood and started shuffling toward the kitchen. “Who’s up for pasta?”

Marinette got up and moved after him, Tikki and Wayzz following in her wake. "Is there anything I can help with?"

While those two got dinner ready, Alya made her way down the short hall and into another small room. While it had a filing cabinet and a tiny table pushed off in the corner to use as a desk, it was more like a closet than anything, but they took what they could get.

The sleek, stylish screen against one wall was the only thing that stood out; a gift from Adrien, modified by Max to help with their in-home communication.

“Ready to go, Trixx?” Alya turned to her kwami companion as she closed the door.

“Whenever you are!” Trixx wriggled.

"Alright then! Let's pounce!" Alya transformed in a flash of orange light, and Rena Rouge soon stood within the small space. She took out her flute and held it up to the screen, popping open the small communicator to press a button on it.

The TV flashed to life, and Alya used the larger touch screen to navigate the menu until she pulled up her contacts. Small red dots spun around before Rose's face, concealed behind a mask, finally came up on the television.

"Rena!" she greeted as the glowing scenery of Paris at night flashed along behind her. Rose didn’t even sound winded while she kept sprinting over the rooftops. "I didn’t know you were joining us tonight!"

"Just looking for some quick intel before dinner." Alya smiled. "I was wondering if you've had any luck tracking the akuma."

Rose shook her head with a small frown. "Sorry, the trail's gone cold. They did too good a job covering up her tracks!"

"I’m surprised Foresight hasn’t reappeared tonight.” Alya shifted uneasily on her feet, eyes flicking past Rose when she spotted a figure flash along a slanted rooftop, but as it moved closer, she noticed it was only Juleka jumping in the background. “You think this means Farfalla's up to something?"

"She's _always_ up to something," Rose answered with a nod. “But yes, it’s never a good sign when she goes quiet like this.”

"I figured," Alya grumbled, her fingers impatiently tapping against her hip. "With this akuma from the past, doesn’t that mean she can strike with two at once?"

"Oh no!" Rose gasped, her eyes growing wide. "That sounds awful! But I think you're right. Even more of a reason for us to find them as quickly as possible."

“Fighting more than one akuma at the same time would be troublesome,” Alya agreed. “But you two shouldn’t stay out all night if they’re not showing.”

“Speaking of the akuma, I heard you have some guests?” Rose finally came to a stop, and Juleka’s masked face appeared over her shoulder on the screen. Alya rolled her eyes with a smile at the unbridled emotion that she practically saw emanating from Rose. But Juleka? It had always been hard to read that girl, even more so when she had on a mask.

“Technically we only have one. Chat—err, Mister Bug has the other.”

“I want to meet them!” Rose squealed while bouncing up and down. “Can I meet them? Please, Rena?”

“Sorry, girl,” Alya said with a gentle tone. “You likely can’t. Mini-bug is safe because she knows Carapace and I from her own past, but according to what we learned, she hasn’t chosen any of the others; including you.”

Rose’s expression widened in surprise. “Is this little bug not the guardian?”

 _“That_ disaster was a recent event, so she only just inherited guardianship, AND—” Alya lowered her voice. “She’s not even dating Chat Noir yet.”

“WHAT!?” Rose’s shriek was enough to wake the dead. Alya laughed and steered the conversation back on track, but there wasn’t much left to say about the akuma other than the fact that Foresight seemed to have disappeared.

They would reconvene at another time and figure it out. For the moment, they all required rest.

Because their enemy was plotting something, and they needed to be ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Farfalla, the new butterfly holder. It’s most likely who you think. She won't show up for a looooong while though.
> 
> It's only a matter of time before Juleka and Rose become miraculous holders, but as far as outfits and hero names go, I left them vague. They are the only heroes that the others don’t call by title(mainly because I’m terrible at coming up with creative or good sounding hero names).


	5. Lady Noire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Such original title. But now, the main chapter that gives this story its Teen and Up rating. Also, FLUUUUFF—Not Alix’s kwami! Also, also, thank you guys for over a hundred kudos! Comments and kudos make me happy that you are enjoying this as much as I am writing it!

"What a day," Adrien groaned as one hand closed the bedroom door behind him while the other one unbuttoned his jacket. “Francis, can you turn on the low lights?”

Tikki flew out over the large bed as the room lit up in a soft glow, just enough to see by, but not so bright as to dim the spectacular scene perfectly framed by the windows. A night view of Paris spilled out beyond the glass panes filling the entirety of the corner wall, the golden light of the eiffel tower visible in the distance.

A quiet squeaking noise drew his attention to the dresser at the front, and Adrien smiled as he turned to the colorful terrarium made up of tubes and plastic cubes. The wheel inside the main tank spun frantically while he bent over to peer in.

“Hey, little girl,” he cooed softly to the hamster inside. At the sound of his voice, the small creature paused her exercise before scampering to the glass and pressing her snout against it, tiny paws scrabbling over the surface. “Are you looking for mama?”

Usually, by this time, Marinette would have given her a treat, so Adrien popped open the small bag and dropped one in before turning and flopping back onto the bed with a sigh. What a time to have everything go completely out of control. Granted, his past-self wasn't annoying or intrusive at all, it would just be his bad luck that things kept happening that allowed past Adrien to figure out bits of his own future with their unfortunate timing.

“Tikki,” Adrien started. “At this rate, Past-me is going to discover Ladybug’s identity tomorrow morning, and by next afternoon, he’ll have somehow found out everything about Hawk Moth—and I can’t decide if that’s good or the worst thing to ever happen!”

“Not possible!” Tikki squeaked, zipping up to hover in front of him. “I made sure to put away all the wedding photos. Anything else incriminating about the present has been hidden or locked, and you should know better than anyone that your younger-self wouldn’t snoop around like that.”

Adrien hummed to himself. “True. I never did pry when Marinette insisted that we had to keep our identities to ourselves.” He drug his hands down his face. “Though I _did_ get a bit impatient with her at times.”

Adrien turned to look out over the bed, a huge king-sized mattress with a navy comforter spread beneath him. At the headboard, arranged neatly on one side, sat a small collection of stuffed animals—mostly black cats—that he had gifted to Marinette over various holidays, or simply because he thought she would find them cute.

"Crap," he said aloud as a thought hit him. He immediately jumped up from the bed and scrambled over to the joined bathroom. Just as he feared, all of her overnight things were still inside. "I didn't bring Marinette any of her stuff."

Tikki flew past his shoulder and hovered over the toothbrushes sitting in their stands. "Her parents always keep a few things handy, just in case. Remember when you stayed over during Christmas?"

"Right." Adrien blinked, recalling that time fondly. It had been his first holiday with her family.

Though they hadn't planned on spending the night, they'd gotten so distracted by a Super Mecha Battle Tournament, that by around one in the morning, with snow covering the streets, her parents hadn't let them walk out the door. "I'm glad they upgraded Marinette's old bed. Can you imagine two grown adults trying to share a twin?" Adrien grinned just thinking about it.

Tikki giggled. "I'm sure you wouldn't have minded at all."

"You're right." Adrien laughed as he strolled to the bed and laid back on the sheets, staring up at the ceiling. "But we haven’t even been here for very long, and now we have to sleep separately until who-knows-when."

"I wouldn’t say for more than a day—two tops." Tikki flew up into his view. "I'm certain everyone will be able to figure this all out soon. Don’t worry!”

Adrien heard a soft scratching noise right then, but he didn’t think anything of it. Since he’d been sharing the room with a hamster for a good while, he was used to little scrabbling sounds in the middle of the night. Tikki must have thought the same, because she didn’t say anything about it.

So when a soft knock came from the balcony, he shot up and turned to look, jolting in surprise as he spotted a dark figure through the glass door. Green eyes peered back at him in the glow of the lights.

He couldn't unlock the door fast enough to pull it open. "Marinette?" he whispered, grasping her elbow and feeling the cold about her despite the protection of her suit. "I would have left the key out if I knew you were going to be here!"

"Sorry." She lowered her head as she rubbed her upper arms. Adrien placed his hand along her hip to help her inside and to try and transfer some of his warmth to her. "I couldn't get to sleep."

He followed her to the edge of the bed where she sat down and fiddled with the end of her long braid. "Since everything was so short notice, I don't have any of my pillows... Or my husband." She smiled up at him before flopping back onto the covers with a sigh, stretching her arms above her head. "And I don't think I can survive at my parent's house for very long."

Adrien gave her a puzzled look, sitting down on the bed beside her. "What are they doing to wear you out like this?"

"It's not them!" Marinette shook her head. "It's... I just didn't realize how tiring the stairs were before!"

Adrien couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. "We have a second floor too, you know. You don't seem to complain about _that."_

"I know!" She draped an arm over her eyes. "But everything important in my parents’ house is downstairs from my room." She lifted her hand and began ticking off on her claws. "The kitchen, the bathroom, the living room. Heck, even the bakery! If I need _anything,_ I have to go up and down one to two flights each time." She rolled onto her side and pouted in a way that Adrien couldn’t help but smile at. "If I weren't carrying _your_ child, I might have the energy to do all that."

“Oh, so it’s _my_ child?” Adrien flopped down beside her and propped his head up against his arm, giving her a cheeky smirk. "Yet you still had the strength to transform and leap across Paris to our apartment?" He reached out with his other hand and began to massage his fingers into her hair just below her cat ears. "Was my lady really that lonely?"

Marinette closed her eyes and sighed contentedly, leaning her head into his touch so much like an actual cat that Adrien had to suppress a snort from how cute he found it. It didn't take long before they had crawled farther up onto the bed and she snuggled in close. Adrien wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and a soft rumble eventually vibrated from her chest.

He nuzzled his nose against her hair and grinned. "Now you really are my _purr_ -incess." She let out a soft whine while he squeezed her, though she didn't make any move to push him away.

"And now you've ruined it." The purring sputtered when she lifted her head, her mouth drawn down in a small frown. "You know I can't control it."

"I know." Adrien shifted and reached his arms around her back to pull her body flush against his, reveling in her soft giggle when he sweetly kissed her cheek. It didn't take long for her to lay against him once again and the rumbling to resume. "And I love it. It's such a soothing sound."

"It is weirdly comforting," Marinette softly agreed.

A moment of quiet passed between them as Adrien's hand reached up and continued to massage her scalp, her warm breaths brushing against his neck in an easy rhythm. Her grip eventually relaxed, and he noticed the rest of her body slowly go limp as well.

"Are you falling asleep?" Adrien whispered as he pulled his head back to look at her.

"It’s hard to stay awake, but I'll probably need to go to the bathroom soon anyway," she mumbled sleepily. "I can be gone before past-you wakes up.” With what seemed like a tremendous effort, her eyelids fluttered open. “Speaking of, how is little Adrien?"

Adrien hummed to himself softly, thinking about his answer before a smirk grew on his face with a devious expression. "You mean my past-self, right?"

“Of course I—” She blinked back at him slowly, his words and meaning taking a bit to sink in before the soft blush finally spilled out along the edge of her mask. "Oh my god Adrien no!" He yelped out a laugh when her claws dug into his chest and she buried her face in his shirt. "Yes!" her embarrassed voice squeaked out. "I meant your _house guest!"_

"Ouch! Milady, you're actually wounding me!" Though he had been surprised, Adrien chuckled as he pried her claws out of the fabric. "Did you forget how sharp these are?"

"Sorry," she mumbled as she released his shirt, but before she could pull both of her hands away, he reached up and grabbed one so he could lightly kiss her gloved fingers.

"He's been fine," he mumbled in answer to her previous question. "Not snooping, if that's what you mean. Aside from accidentally finding out that I'm married, just not to _whom."_ Adrien chuckled softly. "He'd probably flip over the moon if he knew the truth."

Marinette hummed, which was shortly followed by a quiet, "Claws in." Adrien watched Plagg swirl around above their heads as he let out a loud whine.

 _"Pleeeeeease_ tell me there's Camembert!"

"Sorry, Plagg." Adrien smiled apologetically. "Past-you ate the small amount I bought earlier. There's still some other Marinette-safe cheeses in the fridge."

"Aww," Plagg moaned. "But that's not Camembert." Though he didn't sound happy with his choices, Plagg still twisted in the air and made a bee-line for the kitchen. Adrien only let him go because he noticed Tikki phase through the wall after him, content that she would keep his greedy kwami in-line and out of sight if either of their past-selves popped up.

"You don't have to go before the night is over, you know." He returned his attention to Marinette as he ran his hand lightly across the back of her neck. Without the suit, she was left in her pyjamas, allowing him access to her bare shoulders. "I can set an alarm and you can leave before past-me even wakes up."

"I have to leave before my parents get up anyway," Marinette grumbled. "I may be an adult, but as long as I'm staying at their house, Papa will definitely be checking on me before he opens the bakery."

"He’s just worried about you and the baby.” Adrien’s eyes moved down to her stomach, which was partially visible where her top had slipped up. According to the doctor, she was thirteen weeks along, yet she still showed no physical signs. Slightly worried, Adrien wondered if that was normal, tucking it away as a question to ask about at her next exam.

“I know,” Marinette responded, the appreciation apparent in her voice. “It _has_ been a rough start. Everyone has different experiences, so it’s not always the warm and fuzzy glow that some people say it is.” She sighed as she shifted beneath him, and he felt her hands move up to clasp loosely behind his neck. “I just wish it didn’t come with so much nausea.”

“Well, relax here for as long as you need." His words were muffled slightly as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, his own arms sliding to the small of her back. “The door’s locked, and Plagg is probably busy eating all of the cheese in the apartment, so you’ll have no interruptions.”

At that moment, the distinct sound of little hamster paws scrabbling against a glass terrarium disrupted the quiet.

“‘No interruptions,’ huh?” Marinette giggled, craning her neck around to peer at the dresser. “I think our fur-baby is trying to get your attention.”

Adrien groaned. “She’s probably just realized that you’re in the room, but I already gave her treats for tonight.” His grip on Marinette’s waist tightened as he tried to ignore the faint squeaks. “I swear, she’s just as greedy as Plagg with his Camembert.”

 _“That’s_ hard to believe.” Marinette gently toyed with the ends of his hair. If he had been transformed as Chat Noir right then, _he_ would have been the one purring from the sensation. “I’ve seen Plagg inhale two entire wheels in less than an hour.”

“Alright, no more talk about cheese-eating kwami and interrupting hamsters.” He traced his fingers softly over her spine, and Adrien felt her shiver beneath him. “With an early morning akuma, an impromptu hospital visit, and our past-selves dropping in, I’ve had no alone time with my lady all day.”

 _“Now_ who’s been lonely?” Marinette shifted back far enough to look up at him from beneath her eyelashes, and Adrien sucked in a quiet breath. Either she was just extremely tired, or was doing a very, _very_ good job at tempting him.

As he moved to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, not for the first time in his life, Adrien thought himself a lucky man. The two amazing girls he knew as both a hero and civilian wound up being one in the same. _No wonder I fell in love with her twice._

He wanted to kiss her, and he didn’t have to ask for permission, because her expression told him everything he needed to know. How had he never been able to read her like this when they were kids? With the bond they had shared for so long as superheroes, it was hard to believe that they never figured out who the other was beneath the mask with just a single look.

Without hesitation, Adrien lifted his hands to cradle her neck, gently brushing a thumb over her cheek as he moved in and placed a kiss directly against her lips. Their warm breaths mixed, and Marinette hummed pleasantly beneath him, instantly responding to his affections by sliding her hands up and tangling her fingers in his hair.

As soft as her touch was, the contact seemed to burn against his scalp, and it spread like wildfire throughout the whole of his insides. Eventually breaking away from their kiss, Adrien shifted, making an almost animal-like growl as he trailed down her chin before moving into the crook of her neck.

“Adrien…” Marinette’s voice huffed as she tugged at the material over his chest. He suddenly had the urge to discard his shirt completely.

Instead, he wrapped an arm around her middle and eased her onto her back, his legs shifting so he could lift himself and take a look at her beneath him. Though they should have been used to one another’s company like this, Marinette’s face was practically red from her blush, looking embarrassed as though she were peering up at him for the first time again. He couldn’t help the gentle smile that formed while he took her in.

“You’re such a tease,” Marinette whined as she lifted her hands to his face, gently tugging him back. When he settled over her, his knee lightly brushed the inside of her thigh, so he inched closer to better mold himself around her.

Marinette’s sharp gasp pulled him out of his bliss, and he shot up to quickly fall back on his knees. “Did I over do it!?” he blurted out, his eyes flitting over her as he tried to find the reason for her reaction. 

She shook her head hesitantly, but it was obvious that something was wrong. He could see the way she bit at her lip, and how her fingers shook unsteadily. Before he could press further though, she simply groaned and hid her face beneath her hands, so her response was only an incoherent mess of muffled words.

“Marinette.” He reached up and pulled one of her hands away. “You need to tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s a heat rash,” she finally mumbled, her face appearing more red than before. “It’s… because of the pregnancy… And with everything that happened, I was too distracted to pick something up.” She groaned and pulled her hands back over her face again. “I even went out shopping, but I forgot to buy it then!”

“Is there anything that can help?” Adrien asked.

Tikki suddenly appeared over his shoulder, so she and Plagg must have snuck back into the room while they were distracted. “We were actually looking for calamine this morning, but then the akuma interrupted!”

“Hmm…” Adrien looked to the bedside table for his phone, and as if reading his mind, Plagg helpfully snatched it up and dropped it in his hand. “Thanks, Plagg.”

He quickly used the voice to text to search for something useful that they might already have in the apartment—not that he wouldn’t go out and pick up something for Marinette regardless of how late it was; not even the fact that all the stores were closed would stop him.

He managed to find a helpful article specifically aimed at pregnant women. “This basically says to keep cool and use a damp compress, or take a lukewarm shower.” He scrolled down for more and suddenly grinned at the words he found. “And this one says getting naked will help, which I am fully on board for.” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully. “I can even join you, if you’d like.”

Marinette did not look amused as she reached an arm back and grabbed up one of her stuffed animals—a round little ladybug with hearts for spots—and tossed it at his face before he realized what she was doing. The plush hit him square on the nose. _“That_ would only make things worse!”

“Just teasing! Teasing! I surrender, milady!” He fell back and held up his hands in front of him, wincing as she grabbed a stuffed bear with a heart in its paws. “I think the heat of the moment is gone now anyway.”

She hugged the plushie to her chest and carefully sat up, huffing at him. “Was that a pun?”

“Not an intentional one.” He hesitantly chuckled. “I wouldn’t joke about your misery.” Adrien righted himself and crawled back along the bed until their noses touched, making sure to steer clear of her legs. “So please let me know when you’re suffering, Marinette, even if it’s that embarrassing stuff that comes with pregnancy.” He reached up to gently brush her cheek. “I won’t laugh or anything. I’ll just worry more if you try to bear it alone.”

She quickly glanced down at that, and he followed her gaze to the stuffed bear. “Also not intentional…” He paused only a moment before adding, “Though you have to admit, my puns are _beary_ funny.”

“Just _bear-_ ly,” Marinette grumbled in response. Though she sounded annoyed, he noticed a tiny smile tug at her lips.

“In all seriousness, Marinette, I mean it.” He laid a soft kiss against her brow. “We’re in this together.”

“Alright,” she eventually mumbled. With his help, she slowly laid back on the sheets. “I didn’t mean to make you worry.” She drummed her fingers together while averting her eyes. “It’s just... After I fainted, everyone treated me like I was made of glass and—” she groaned, shaking her hands “—I love you guys but it’s frustrating and tiring and just… just...” She held the stuffed bear up between them like a shield and sighed.

“Too much?” Adrien smiled, gently tugging at the bear’s foot until he could see his wife’s face again when she nodded. “I guess I did go a bit overboard calling the _whole_ team…”

“Maaaaybe…” Marinette agreed.

“Sorry, bug,” Adrien murmured as he drew her fingers to his lips again to kiss them. “I may have panicked while you were with the doctor.”

"You don't need to apologize," Marinette huffed, though from the playful expression on her face, she didn’t appear to still be annoyed. "You just need to run out for my every beck and whim when I get those weird pregnancy cravings."

Adrien blinked at her in surprise. "You mean you haven't got them already?"

"Trust me, I asked maman about some of the things we should expect," Marinette said with a frown. "Chocolate and cheese is _not_ a weird craving."

"It is when cheese triggers your nausea." Adrien chuckled, tucking her hand beneath his neck and enjoying their warmth. A delighted shiver ran down his spine when she wiggled her fingers to tickle his chin.

"Only Camembert and the really smelly ones." She smirked. "But anything like cheddar and Gouda are perfectly fine, since they aren't strong at all."

"Oh!" Adrien perked up as a thought crossed his mind. "Because it's goo—"

 _"Adrien,"_ her voice cut in sharply, and his pun died before he could complete it. "Don't you dare."

"What?" he whined. "How can you expect me not to pun when you do it too? You also made a cat pun this afternoon as Lady Noire." He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers, his voice lowering into a growl. "Do you know how crazy that drives me when my lady says something like that?"

"I don't mind them in small doses." Marinette’s cheeks flushed pink at his words, and he could feel her squirm slightly beneath him. "But you’ve used that one about three times already, remember?"

"Oh..." Adrien turned away with a thoughtful look that quickly morphed into a grin. "I'll have to sit down and come up with more _cheesy_ dad jokes then."

Rather than the groan that he had expected, the gentle laughter that escaped her gave him a pleasant jolt in his chest. "You'll have plenty of time to think up all sorts of jokes in the future." She curled her fingers around his and guided his hand lower, pressing his palm against her abdomen as she whispered, "Papa."

The glow on her face as she said that word completely warmed him from head to toe. Without hesitation, he dove in to kiss her again, huskily chuckling at the surprised squeak that he elicited from her. His legs shifted carefully alongside hers, mindful not to put her in any discomfort this time.

The quiet of night eventually settled over them, and as Adrien lay beside Marinette, grasping her hand in his, her steady, quiet breathing enticed him to join her. He slowly drifted off next to his sleeping wife, too distracted by her serene face to even notice their two kwami sneaking onto the pillows beside their heads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously, Marinette was not sick, she’s just got a baaaaaaaay-beeeeeeeeee. Pregnant women can be prone to overheating, dehydrating, fainting spells, exhaustion/fatigue and can be sensitive to strong smells(or any smell, really). Also, yes, Nino thought he was being a clever dork when he said she’d ‘caught a little bug.’ More like a catbug, amiright!? Meheheheheheh!


	6. Maiden Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Francis is this story's version of Alexis, if you haven't already picked up on that. I started writing the chapter summaries shortly after Christmas when my mother discovered her love for Alexis and bought us all Amazon Echos. They seem like something that everyone might commonly have in the future.

"...beautiful morning at ten degrees celsius with a high of sixteen today..."

Alya didn't pay much mind to the weather report, simply having it on for the background noise since she was the only one currently awake. She wasn't surprised, as Marinette had always slept in when they were kids, especially on weekends.

As far as Nino went though, he had decided on a lazy morning because he had a DJ gig that night. She’d woken him up only long enough to let him know she was using the kitchen, so he popped on a set of headphones and pulled a pillow over his face to get more shut-eye.

As it was a quiet Saturday morning, neither of them had anywhere they needed to be anyway. No, Alya's current need and attention was tuned to the instant coffee maker in front of her as it heated up the water. The smell of chocolate in the kitchen was strong, even though the pastries on the counter behind her were already a day old. Trixx sat beside the box, polishing off her second croissant.

The coffee maker dinged, and Alya popped in the instant packet while simultaneously setting her mug beneath the spout.

In that moment, the small speaker sitting near the wall lit up as the news for the day faded out. A convincingly human-like voice then chimed, "Incoming call from Adrien Dupain-Cheng."

Alya's hand slipped, and coffee poured out from the machine, splattering over the counter top while her cup clattered against the wall.

"Shit! Shit shi—Francis!" Alya hissed at the speaker. "Don't answer that!" She then turned on her heel before immediately twisting around again to complete a full three-sixty spin. "And send a text to Adrien’s cell that says, 'Do **_not_ **call!'"

Alya sprinted down the short hallway on her tip-toes to soften her footsteps, stopping in front of the bedroom where Marinette was hopefully _not_ awake. As quietly as possible, she cracked open the door to peek inside, relief flooding her to see that her teenage friend was still soundly asleep in the bed.

If she had heard anything, Alya was certain it wouldn’t have been so quiet.

A small shadow of movement did catch her attention when Tikki flew out into the hall though. She smiled reassuringly at Alya as she whispered softly, "Don’t worry, Marinette didn't even wake up."

Alya quietly shut the door and slumped against the opposite wall in relief. "Thank goodness that girl isn't a morning person." She then shot a curious frown at Tikki. "But it's okay that _you_ know?

Tikki giggled. "I had a feeling things might turn out this way, but it should be fine, I can keep a secret." She winked. "I knew who Chat Noir was early on and still couldn't tell, even though I know how much Marinette likes him."

"Right..." Alya nodded. "Current-you eventually told Marinette about the Dark Owl incident. Not to mention there was the time the cat and ladybug miraculous got switched before they knew who the other was."

"The magic won't allow kwami to reveal the identities of any holder," Tikki explained, sounding serious despite the wide grin splitting her face. "But that doesn't mean I can't push them in the right direction!"

Alya chuckled at Tikki’s expression. “You must really be rooting for them if it’s got you this excited.”

“Yes!” Tikki squeaked. “But I’m more so delighted that _he_ took _her_ name!”

Alya’s mouth pulled into a small frown as she thought against revealing the reason, but at that moment, she felt her phone vibrate from a text. "Crap!" She grabbed it out of her pocket and briefly glanced at it before pulling up her contacts. "Sorry, Tikki. I almost forgot about calling back."

Tikki only giggled in answer as she flew down the hallway while Alya pressed the call button for Adrien's number. The phone didn’t even get a chance to finish its first ring before a soft voice whined through the speaker. "Alyaaaaa..."

“Marinette?” Alya jerked the phone away from her ear and quickly glanced at the screen, just to be sure she had called the right person. The ID confirmed that she had indeed selected the correct number. She pressed the phone back against her ear. “Why do you have Adrien’s cell?”

“Oh, umm... I grabbed his by mistake.”

“Of course,” Alya muttered softly, mindful of her sleeping fiancé on the nearby couch. “You know I nearly had a heart attack when you called? Did you forget that Francis would announce his _full name_ over the speakers?”

There was a soft squeak from the other end of the line before Marinette asked, “She didn’t hear it, did she?”

“Luckily, both versions of you sleep like the dead, even if one _doesn’t_ have a bun in the oven.” Alya chuckled at the relieved sigh that Marinette released.

“Right, yes. While we’re on the topic,” Marinette started quietly. _“That_ has something to do with why I called.”

"What's wrong?" Alya picked up the slight shift in her friend's tone. "Marinette, are you okay?"

"If puking my brains out at the slightest smell is considered ‘okay,’ then, sure. Fine. Just peachy!” Marinette groaned. “Alya, I’m so tired! And we both eventually want _more_ kids! I don't know how I'll get through any more of... of _this!"_

Alya's worry subsided as she laughed softly and moved back toward the kitchen. "Morning sickness again?"

"You have _no_ idea!" Marinette yelped. "Papa started baking for the day, which obviously wasn't his fault, since it's never been a problem _before!_ But I guess my nose just got a boost, because I somehow _knew_ I was smelling eggs from three floors up, and I woke up feeling nauseous and just... I _had_ to get out of there."

"Where are you now?" Alya asked, frowning when she caught sight of the mess she had made in her panic earlier. The counter was covered in a mixture of coffee and water, but the kwami appeared to have helpfully carried her mug into the sink while she'd been gone, as Trixx was still busy scooting a damp rag over the spilled liquid.

"At the park," Marinette answered. "But I swear I can still smell the eggs. Alya, why do babies hate eggs?" her friend whined.

Alya couldn't help her soft chuckle as she took over cleaning for Trixx while her kwami joined Tikki in the box of pastries. "It's not so much the baby's preference. Your body is just trying to protect you both from potentially harmful bacteria."

"I can't imagine eggs being harmful. Not. At. All." Alya could practically hear her pout through the phone. "Is it selfish of me to wish this baby would just come out already?"

"Girl!" Alya laughed. "You're only on the first trimester! You're starting to scare me about any ideas I might’ve had."

"Sorry!" Marinette quickly answered. "It's... probably not as bad as I'm making it out to be."

"It's not your fault, everyone's experience is different. Besides, me and Nino are kind of on a rocky slope with _that_ regardless." Alya squeezed the dirty rag out over the sink before tossing it to the side. "We don't even want to consider kids until he finishes university and we can afford a bigger place." She glanced back down the hallway, but neither of the sleeping beauties appeared to be awake yet. "It's a bit cramped here with just mini-Marinette added in."

"Do you need any help?" Marinette asked, sounding concerned. "I could always—"

"Don't worry, we've got it covered," Alya interjected before Marinette could finish. "Adrien's already offered Nathalie's expertise. Once Nino graduates and we're ready to move out, she told us she can find us a place that will fit our budget, whatever that may be."

"That’s great!" Marinette sounded relieved. "I wish I could go home right now, but I can't risk being seen by mini-Adrien." She paused before adding, "Even though I'm _super_ curious."

"Marinette." Alya's voice took on a warning tone. "You are _not_ going to abuse your superhero abilities just so you can sneak into—" her eyes quickly shot to the closed bedroom door "—your own apartment and spy on a younger version of your husband!"

Apart from the noise of kids playing in the background, there was silence on the other end. Something clicked in her thoughts, and Alya narrowed her eyes with suspicion. "You already did that, didn't you?"

"I didn't go there to see _him!"_ her friend squeaked in defense. "I was with _my_ _husband!_ And the door was locked!”

Alya shook her head. “Let’s just hope he didn’t catch Lady Noire pole-vaulting away. Unlike you, _he’s_ an early riser!”

“Give me _some_ credit, Alya,” Marinette whined. “I had to leave before my parents got up, and I actually woke up before the alarm for once. Although... That’s when I accidentally grabbed Adrien’s cell phone. At least I got out of there well before mini-Adrien noticed anything."

Alya sighed. "Wasn't Chat Noir finding out first the more disastrous event?"

Marinette hissed softly. "Chat Blanc. How much did Alix tell you about that timeline?"

"Enough to know I don't want any of it happening," Alya growled, her sudden anger not directed at her friend. "Speaking of timelines," she added, wanting to quickly change the subject, "We found out that mini-bug recently became the new guardian."

"Really?" Marinette paused, quite a few thoughts obviously going through her head at that. "It was… hard. But it was the start of something new." There was an old pain in her voice, but that quickly faded with what she whispered next. "I never really got over my crush on Adrien, it just... evolved."

Alya smirked, leaning back against the kitchen counter. "And then you found out that you'd basically been rejecting Adrien for Adrien all that time."

Marinette moaned, "Please don't remind me of my stupidity."

"It wasn't stupidity." Alya frowned and tapped at her chin. "More like... hmm, hindsight?"

"Try oblivious," Marinette grumbled.

Alya snorted, feeling like that was the perfect descriptor for her two friends. "So, what are you going to do about your housing situation?"

"I may just need to look into a hotel. Don’t worry, Alya I'll... figure something out." Marinette’s voice oddly faltered about halfway through her sentence, and the silence that followed made Alya curious.

"Marinette? Are you still there?"

"Yes!" Marinette quickly yelped. "I uh... I gotta go."

"Alright, take care of yourself, girl. You know I wouldn't hesitate to kick Nino onto the floor and give you a bed here, but..."

"Can't risk younger me finding out about the pregnancy, don't worry, Alya!" Marinette's words sped up. "I’ll find someplace before tonight, bye!"

“Stay out of trouble!” Alya managed to get out before the call ended. She shook her head slightly, hoping that Marinette would be able to find something, even if it had to be an expensive hotel room from being so last-minute.

Curious about the time, Alya glanced at the clock. Despite all that had happened, it wasn’t even nine yet. “Trixx?” Her kwami popped up from the box of pastries, a swirl of cream cutely smudged on her nose. “Ready for a morning patrol?”

“Ready, Alya!” Trixx cleaned her face and zipped up next to her with a wide grin.

Alya turned to Tikki as the kwami floated over, holding a cookie in her paws. “Nino already knows where I’ll be, but if Marinette asks, you can tell her I’m on patrol for that akuma that escaped. I’ll be back in the afternoon so he can leave and set up for his gig tonight.”

Tikki saluted. “Right!”

Alya nodded, satisfied that everything seemed to be in order. She quickly made her way up to the roof access, careful to check that the coast was clear before transforming and going on the hunt for an akuma.

∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙

“Psst… Marinette!” Plagg’s voice whispered from her purse. “Glasses at twelve o’clock!”

“Don’t worry, Alya I'll... figure something out." Marinette’s attention on her and Alya’s conversation wavered as she looked toward the fountain of Place des Vosges. She only noticed a group of children chasing one another over the path while a pair of adults watched off to the side.

“Opposite direction!” Plagg hissed, and Marinette whipped her head around to spot Nathalie strolling down the walkway from the gate.

“Yes! I uh... I gotta go," Marinette responded to Alya’s concern, quickly reassuring her friend before saying goodbye. As she ended the call and lowered the cell phone, Nathalie approached the bench she was sitting on and stopped in front of her.

"Good morning, Marinette," Nathalie greeted in her usual, formal tone. Even after all the years of knowing her, the woman hadn’t changed much in her mannerisms. Although, Marinette liked to think that she definitely seemed more relaxed than she’d been when they first met. "Adrien told me you would be at your parents' place, but I'm surprised to see you outside so early."

"Well, you see," Marinette began to explain, pointing back at the bakery that was still visible across the street. "Papa had to start baking, and as soon as I smelled the egg wash—"

"Ah." Nathalie held up a hand. "I understand. Eggs are a very common trigger.” She adjusted her glasses and gave Marinette a warm smile. “I’ve been told the chefs had to avoid cooking any while Emilie was pregnant with Adrien." She then pulled a pink flowery bag away from her shoulder and held it up by the straps. "I wanted to give this to you yesterday, but you were out both times I tried to meet with you."

"Sorry, Nathalie." Marinette smiled appreciatively as she took the bag, delighted by its color and floral pattern, and curious because of the slight heaviness from something inside. "I know Adrien already told you about the akuma problem… And I went out with my parents shortly after I got home.”

“No need to apologize, pregnancy can be chaotic on its own,” Nathalie said with a nod. “Add an akuma to the mix, and I can’t imagine it’s been a pleasant day.” She leaned over and pulled the side of the purse open slightly, allowing Marinette a glance at the items within. “There are some light snacks, along with nausea pills and a few other natural remedies. Everything in here is safe for pregnant women to take.”

“Oh!” Marinette opened the bag a bit wider and grinned. “Thank you so much!” The relief in her voice must have been apparent, because Nathalie chuckled. It had been… tiring… dealing with everything that came with her pregnancy so far, to say the least. Having a care-package armed with things that might make her day easier gave her a great deal of comfort.

“Is there any cheese?” Plagg’s voice came from inside the bag, and Marinette pushed aside a few of the snacks to find him rummaging around at the bottom. He must have phased through when she wasn’t paying attention.

“Only the kind that Marinette has mentioned do not incite her nausea,” Nathalie answered with a frown directed at the kwami. “So no camembert.”

“Aww…” Plagg slumped over with a disappointed pout on his face.

Nathalie then straightened up and clasped her hands behind her back, the air about her feeling slightly more business-like with her posture. “I thought you might be having a difficult time, especially after the incident at lunch the other day.”

“Right…” Marinette’s smile faltered as she inwardly winced, recalling that Nathalie had been with them at that disaster of a luncheon. While she and Adrien _had_ been planning on making the announcement to friends and family that weren’t already aware, they’d hoped for something quiet and celebratory. Unfortunately, the baby had other plans, because while Marinette felt perfectly fine upon arriving at the restaurant, her world quickly turned to black after everyone had already gotten settled.

It was understandable that Adrien needed to give the paramedics a reason as to _why_ she suddenly fainted, but his panicking ensured that everyone in, around, or even a block away from the building were also privy to the information. Maybe it wasn’t his fault exactly, but the word had spread, and by afternoon, all of the gossip tabloids were quick to put out any news they could glean about Gabriel Agreste’s first grand-baby.

Marinette had only glanced at a few articles out of curiosity, but turned away when she came across a rather heated debate on whether or not her baby would grow up to be a fashion mogul or one of Paris’ future top-models. Concern about what news outlets were saying about her unborn child was stress that she didn’t need right now!

“I really appreciate this.” Marinette set the bag in her lap and continued to sift through the items curiously, noticing that Plagg had returned to the purse at her hip. “The smells get better in the evening when Papa’s not baking as much, so these will help if I don’t make it out fast enough in the morning."

"Do you have another place you can stay that wouldn’t trouble you?" Nathalie tilted her head slightly with her eyebrows drawn together. "With one of your friends, perhaps?"

Marinette tried to think, but it was only a short moment before Nathalie spoke up again. "If not... I could always direct an inquiry at Gabriel and arrange for you to stay in the mansion." At Marinette's surprised silence, Nathalie continued, "I'm certain he wouldn't mind giving a room to his own daughter-in-law."

"A-are you sure?" Marinette stammered. "I-I mean... It's not that I don't appreciate it or anything..." She tapped her fingers nervously against the purse, unsure of how to finish that. Marinette didn’t want to refuse Nathalie outright. They trusted her.

But the situation between Adrien and his father…

"The chefs could also make a special menu for your meals that won't incite your nausea," Nathalie carried on as if she hadn’t noticed Marinette’s hesitation. "I will be available around the clock should you feel faint again or suffer anything unexpected, and if you needed to go out anywhere, we would be able to drive you."

Marinette squeezed her hands around the purse, still uncertain, even if she didn't want to be rude about rejecting the offer. Coming from Nathalie, it sounded like a wonderful idea and the best solution.

Yet there were still a few... complicated things to do with that. Concerns that were a result of everything they’d suffered at the hands of Hawk Moth, and all of it boiling down to a confrontation that none of them could have ever expected to find themselves in.

She didn’t want to remember… But the thoughts almost seemed to push their way to the surface of her mind, whether she wanted them there or not.

Her memory was just a feeling of numbness, despite all the injuries she had sustained. Her earlobes were empty. Her suit—gone. But the searing heat from her surroundings didn’t register. She simply clung tighter to the limp boy in her arms, quiet and unresponsive to her sobbing pleas, the warmth of his skin fading as his body grew cold in her hands...

"Marinette?" Nathalie's voice pulled her out of the turmoil of her thoughts.

"I'm just... I'm not sure," Marinette answered hesitantly, relaxing her grip from the bag, not realizing she had been clenching it so tightly. "I don't think Adrien would like it if he had to see his father."

"He will be gone all week for a show in Milan," Nathalie said, her eyes soft with understanding. "If Adrien wants to come by and visit, they won’t run into each other accidentally." Nathalie then pulled out her phone before Marinette could think to say anything else. "I'll see what Monsieur Agreste thinks."

Marinette lifted her hands to object, but Nathalie had turned away, already speaking into her cell. "I hope I'm not disturbing you, but it's about Marinette." She paused as Marinette heard a garbled response from the other end. "No, sir, she appears healthy despite yesterday's scare." Nathalie lowered her phone and covered the microphone. "He wishes to know if you are both okay."

"Oh... uh, I’m fine. Yes. The baby’s fine too," Marinette stammered. "T-the doctor said there aren’t any complications."

"She's healthy, sir, the baby as well." Another quiet pause, and Marinette could almost pick out the words of Gabriel’s response as the park itself seemed to hold its breath. "Yes, I'll let her know. I also called to tell you that there's a situation at the apartment. Nothing terrible, but Marinette is unable to stay there for—" Nathalie stopped as it appeared Gabriel interjected with something, and she nodded before switching her attention back to Marinette again.

"Gabriel insists that the mansion is yours for as long as you need a place to stay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that’s quite a cliffhanger to unpack, yes? Granted, there’s still a lot of stuff we don’t know at this point. I originally wrote out more backstory of how the final Hawk Moth confrontation went down, but it quickly turned into a huge information dump.
> 
> I was nervous about what folks might think of this idea, but you guys have reassured me that I took an interesting path story-wise. Thank you! And I'm so happy lots of you enjoyed it.


	7. Catwalk

Marinette woke up with the feeling that everything was slightly off. The glow that filtered through her closed eyelids wasn’t the same that she was used to. It was… different, almost... But she didn’t want to open her eyes to investigate, so it took her sleep-addled brain a moment to process that sunlight meant morning.

And morning meant it was probably time for school.

Her eyelids reluctantly fluttered open, and she covered her mouth to stifle a yawn while her other hand groped around for the shelf where she usually laid her phone. Instead, her fingers knocked against a small table that shouldn’t have been there, and she lazily rolled over to see her cell resting on an unfamiliar surface. Still not awake enough to realize, she grabbed it, quickly scanning the screen, and jolted up in a panic when she saw what time it was.

“I’m two hours late!?” Marinette scrambled to escape the sheets, but only wound up getting tangled and tumbled to the edge of the bed where her wall was located. Instead, a decorative dresser filled her vision. She blinked at it a moment before her gaze trailed up, where her hatch was _not_ letting in the bright sunlight; it was actually coming from a pair of shaded windows on the opposite wall.

“Marinette!” Tikki’s voice squeaked out as her kwami flew into the bedroom that Marinette slowly recognized was not her own. “We’re in the future, remember?”

“Oh…” Marinette pushed herself up and carefully worked to untangle her legs from the comforter. “Right. I’m just a little disoriented, sorry.”

Once she had herself free, Marinette stepped off the bed and stretched while Tikki hovered in front of her. “It’s not exactly Wednesday anymore, so there’s no school for you today.”

“I’d be _really_ late for class if so,” Marinette sighed as her arms flopped against her sides. “About seven years too late.”

Tikki giggled and zipped over to the doorway. “Alya left on patrol this morning, but Nino is awake and in the living room.”

Marinette tidied up the bed before leaving the room and shuffling down the short hallway, quickly picking up the sound of a conversation as she moved.

“What? No way, a deposit is a deposit.” Nino slowly paced along the carpet between the couch and coffee table, his cell phone against his ear. “They can’t get it back, even if they _have_ canceled everything.”

“Would you like some breakfast, Marinette?” Wayzz flew up to her when she entered, and she nodded, her curious gaze quickly focusing back on Nino.

“Are you kidding me?” Nino suddenly stopped and shook his head, not seeming to have noticed Marinette’s arrival. “It’s in the contract that they signed!” Whoever he was on the phone with must have been upset by that answer, because even from her place across the room, she could hear garbled shouting.

“An independent contractor!? Look, I’m sorry the venues won’t give them any refunds, but I lose a full day too!” There was a quiet pause before Nino’s free hand clenched into a fist and his face contorted with anger. “Oh, yeah? Well maybe she should get _him_ to pay for all the damages! Because It’s not my fault the groom couldn’t keep it in his pants!”

Nino whipped his phone away and practically smashed the screen with his finger before tossing it at the couch, then balked when he spun and finally noticed Marinette standing in the room. “Oh, hey...” His expression relaxed, and he tried to nonchalantly shove his hands into his pyjama pockets. “‘Sup?”

Marinette raised a curious brow and quietly asked, “What was _that_ about?”

“Uh…” Nino seemed hesitant as he fiddled with the rim of his cap. “The wedding I was gonna DJ got canceled last minute. Bride found out her husband-to-be cheated the night before.”

“Ouch…” Marinette winced.

“Yeah, the guy was like a gentleman, so it’s a bit of a shocker. Real fun affair,” Nino muttered before letting out a half-hearted chuckle as he flopped onto the couch. “No pun intended.”

“Does that mean your day is now clear?” Wayzz asked as he flew over to Marinette, carrying a croissant wrapped up in a napkin. She thanked him and settled on the other end of the couch, breaking off a piece to share with Tikki.

“‘Fraid so, little dude. At least I get to keep the deposit, but still, it sucks to lose out on a day of work.” He rubbed at his eyes and let out a tired sounding sigh. “Not to mention that since it’s so last minute, I won’t be able to book anything for a job tonight.”

Marinette paused in the process of taking a bite of her croissant, her worry momentarily overruling any concern about staying away from future-specific knowledge. “Do you need the money badly?”

“No, no!” Nino sat up and waved his hands quickly, only settling down when Wayzz brought a croissant out to him as well. “I mean... The extra money would be nice, but we’re not pinching for it, if you know what I mean. Alya and I make enough to split the bills and still stash a little into savings.”

Marinette bit into her croissant with a satisfied nod, not certain if she should press further or even if he was willing to share more. How much could she really know about the future?

“Ah, crap,” Nino mumbled through his own bit of breakfast before practically inhaling it and jumping up off the couch. “I need to pick up my equipment!”

“Can it not wait?” Wayzz flew off after him down the hallway as Nino disappeared into the bedroom. Marinette heard drawers slide open and quickly slam shut again in a frenzy. “Alya instructed us not to leave Marinette alone in the apartment!”

“I can stay here on my own, you know.” Marinette turned to stare down the hallway, hearing a hushed exchange of words between Nino and Wayzz as they appeared to be arguing. “You may think I’m a kid, but I’m fifteen and perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“In normal circumstances, it would be acceptable,” Wayzz answered as he flew back out of the room. “But there are some… concerns about the apartment building itself.”

Marinette blinked at that, her eyes widening. “Is… Is it safe here?”

“Safest place in Paris!” Nino shouted back, pulling a shirt over his head and putting his cap back on as he stumbled into the room. “I mean, hard to beat any security when you live with a pair of superheroes.” He then hesitated as he adjusted his jeans. “But, uh… There _have_ been a few break-ins the last few weeks. Alya’s just worried because one of our floor neighbors was a victim.”

“Oh.” Marinette gulped and exchanged a nervous glance with Tikki. “Was anyone hurt?”

“Yeah.” Nino nodded, pointing at her and frowning when he saw that she was still in the pyjamas she had borrowed from Alya. “Which is why you need to get dressed and come with me.”

“I still believe this is highly irresponsible,” Wayzz argued, floating up in front of Nino’s face. “Marinette could see something that might jeopardize her past and change this timeline!”

“Relax, dude!” Nino tugged at his cap as Marinette scrambled back to the bedroom to find her clothes from the day before. “We’ll take the non-scenic route and avoid all the crowds. Besides, wouldn’t it be the same risk if Foresight shows up and she leaves the apartment to join the fight?”

Wayzz had his arms folded and pursed his lips, but the kwami eventually relaxed with a sigh. “Very well. As long as you are _careful_ about it.”

So Marinette got dressed, but contrary to what she thought about taking a cab or walking the streets, Nino brought her up to the roof. After checking around to ensure that the coast was clear, he transformed and instructed her to do the same.

It was a surprisingly good plan, mostly because she hadn’t thought of the obvious. As superheroes, they could move faster than the average human, and with Nino leading her through back-alleys instead of above them, she didn’t notice anything that seemed like it might give away future sensitive information about _this_ Paris. While she hadn’t actually agreed with the idea of going out, Marinette also didn’t like to think about staying cooped up in the apartment for however long the akuma took to resurface. As long as they were careful, she could stretch her legs with the quick run before heading back.

Soon enough, she leapt down beside Nino to duck past a busy plaza. They sprinted out of people’s view before anyone had a chance to realize the heroes were even there and hid themselves away behind a janitorial looking area.

“Shell off,” Nino said once they were alone, and the flash of green light left him standing in his jeans and t-shirt.

So Marinette transformed behind the shed and followed after Nino while Tikki quickly ducked into her purse. Despite agreeing that she wouldn’t snoop around their future, Marinette couldn’t help her gaze as she stared up at the impressive building before her. High columns decorated the front, and dozens of windows spread out over five gigantic floors. It was a prestigious looking place, with tan bricks and a domed rooftop that sported a well-polished clock face.

“Is this your university?” Marinette asked without thinking.

“Oh, haha, yeah.” Nino jolted to a stop and let out a hesitant laugh. “Guess it’s okay to say that, so long as you don’t tell past me? Although, you’re actually the one who found this place after looking into their design programs.” Nino then tilted his head back as he narrowed his eyes. “Huh… Wonder if this is why you suggested it?”

“I guess future-me did this in her past?” Marinette trotted after Nino as he continued on, leading her into a massive entryway of bright marble and more pillars, where two staircases arched up along the sidewalls and connected at the second floor. It was completely empty of any other people, thanks to the weekend. “But if she doesn’t remember, why would she suggest it?”

“Coincidence? Subconscious memory? Maybe it’s a sign that I’m not screwing this up as badly as I thought.” Nino shrugged as he turned into a wide hallway. “There’s a ballroom that they rent out to students down here. One of the janitors said he could look after my stuff last night so I wouldn’t have to lug it in so early, but if the wedding’s canceled, then he’ll probably want to leave soon.”

“I still believe this is a ridiculous idea,” Wayzz muttered from his hiding spot in Nino’s pocket. “You’re doing all of this for a set of speakers?”

“Hey! Those babies aren’t cheap!” Nino frowned at Wayzz’s disapproving look. “I mean, it’s not the price really… Adrien gave me those to help me start up my business! It’s the sentiment, y’know?”

Marinette almost tripped at the mention of Adrien, and her brain fired up with all sorts of thoughts, but she bit back the curious questions that clamored to the forefront of her mind. Besides the fact that information about Adrien might have been heartbreaking anyway, she couldn’t know too much about their future. Nino probably wouldn’t say anything either. 

But seven years… _So much_ might happen in that time. Adrien could have changed. Maybe even stopped modeling due to a freak acne accident? He might have grown more amazing than he already was or turned out to be a man just like his father… Marinette shivered at that, and to calm her mind, she settled on a general question that sounded safe. “Ah, uh, so…” Marinette started softly. “How is Adrien? If you can say, that is.”

“Uh…” Nino glanced back before turning and shrugging with a smile, walking backwards without watching where he was going. “I’ll just say that he’s living the dream, I guess? No spoilers though.” He winked at her.

With his back turned, Marinette tried to warn Nino as a door along the side of the hall opened, and someone quickly stepped out, but her yelp was too late when Nino and the other man collided. Instead of falling into a mess of tangled limbs, however, like she expected, the stranger quickly reacted and caught Nino by his forearm, planting his feet firmly against the floor in a move that seemed to stabilize the two of them.

“Oh, ‘sup?” Nino smiled from his half-crouched position at the man clutching his arm. “Thanks for the save, dude.”

Marinette’s brain ticked slowly for a moment as her eyes moved up and down this new figure, taking in familiar green eyes and styled blonde hair, her heart pounding with recognition. Speak of the devil…

Regardless of how much he had grown, she would know him in any time-line.

“Nino? I thought you were at home with—” Adrien’s gaze lifted away from his friend as he helped Nino up, finally noticing Marinette frozen in the corridor in front of them. “—Marinette?”

“Uhh… Umm… H-hi...?” Her voice practically squeaked as she stammered incoherently.

Why was her heart reacting this way? She shouldn’t be like this. She had already let go of these feelings. It was probably the dark denim jacket, white undershirt and pants combo, with his hair swept back in a way that made it look wild and untamed, silver studded earrings complimenting it all perfectly. How had nothing about him changed apart from his height? He looked like he had just walked out of a photo shoot.

So... Basically the everyday appearance of Adrien Agreste.

In her defense, she was more startled by the fact that she’d just run into someone that would _recognize_ her and obviously see that she wasn’t the adult Marinette that he knew… If they still knew one another in this time.

Adrien rubbed at the back of his neck as he gave Nino a curious look. “You know, I didn’t expect this kind of situation with Marinette...”

Marinette blanked completely while Nino jumped up at that. “Actually, this is my fault! I brought her with me because I couldn’t leave her in the apartment. Break-ins and all that. Not that we don’t think mini-bug can take care of herself.” Nino chuckled. “It just wasn’t a scenario we wanted to chance.”

Marinette’s eyes flicked between Nino and Adrien with uncertainty. Had she heard correctly? The blood was pounding a bit too loudly in her ears to be sure of his words, but it sounded as if… as if… “W-wait,” Marinette finally stammered out. “You know... about me?”

“Oh, uh! Yeah! All of the team does!” Nino playfully elbowed Adrien in the chest, his voice lowering to a whisper as he winked. “Isn’t that right, _Aspik?”_

“Uh…” Adrien hesitated before grinning. “Yes! On occasion. I ah… help out Luka when he travels.” Marinette felt her legs tremble slightly when he gave her a wink. “I guess you could say you gave me a _second chance?”_

“Bro…” Nino shook his head. “Too much.”

Adrien awkwardly cleared his throat and shot his friend a narrow look. “So, mind explaining why you dragged Marinette out into the open?”

“About that,” Nino started to explain, his wide grin faltering hesitantly. “See… The gig I had this weekend was canceled, so I needed to pick up my equipment before they left.”

“Nino.” Adrien's stern tone had Nino wincing as Adrien frowned and crossed his arms. “If something happens to the speakers, I can just replace them, I don’t mind.” He waved a hand in Marinette’s direction. “This seems a little trivial to risk Marinette being seen by someone outside the team that might recognize her.”

“This! _This_ is why I wanted to pick them up before anything happened!” Nino waved his arms out before wrapping one around Adrien’s shoulders and prodding his friend in the chest. “You spoil me, dude! But quit spending your money on me!”

At that moment, the door Adrien had stepped out of opened again, and the men stiffened. Marinette heard the sound of two high voices chattering behind them.

“Nino! What are you doing here?” a woman asked.

At the sound of his name, Nino pulled Adrien alongside him and the two of them stood in front of Marinette, blocking her view of the pair of women that had stepped into the hall, but also shielding her from theirs. “Yo, ladies! Just picking up my equipment! Looks like the wedding was canceled last-minute, so no gig tonight.”

“What?” one of them gasped. “They canceled the day-of? That’s so rude!”

“Yeah, but I guess they had some major drama, eh? The bride’s dad was pretty pissed.” Nino shrugged.

Marinette tried to remain still, her heart pounding in her chest. Though she hadn’t moved a muscle, it apparently wasn’t enough for the sharp gaze of the two ladies.

“Guys? Is there a reason you’re hiding a small child back there?”

 _‘Small. Child?’_ Marinette indignantly puffed while her heart simultaneously jumped into her throat.

Adrien peered over his shoulder, sending her an apologetic look. “Aah… yeah.” He placed a hand against her back and shifted just enough for her to see the two girls standing before them. “This is uh, Nino’s... Girlfriend’s... distant cousin? She’s a bit shy because she, uh, doesn’t speak French very well.”

The two women peered down at her curiously, one with a round face covered by a smattering of freckles and wearing a rough pair of overalls. She strikingly contrasted with her taller friend, who’s long hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned forward in a casual business outfit made up of dark pants and a sweater.

Marinette waved to them awkwardly. “Umm... N-Nǐ hǎo?”

The short woman before them clasped her hands together and let out a soft squeal. “Nino! She’s adorable! How much French does she understand? Don’t worry! We won’t judge!”

“Uh, not enough.” Nino exchanged a nervous glance with Adrien. “But ah, sorry, Estelle, we’ve actually gotta jet. Alya’s probably freaking cause I took her without saying anything. Didn’t want to leave her alone in the apartment!”

“Nino! You’re terrible!” The short woman—probably Estelle—laughed and lightly slapped his shoulder. “You should definitely text her. Don’t do this when you two have kids!”

“Haha, yea, I’ll be sure to remember that.” Nino chuckled hesitantly, fiddling with his cap as the two women stepped past them.

“We’ve got some photos to develop anyway.” The other girl waved a film camera in the air with a wink. “Thanks for being our professional model! These pictures are smokin’!”

“For sure!” Estelle exclaimed, looking over her shoulder at them. “Don’t forget to text me your email later, Adrien. I’ll send the best shots to your wife!”

They waved goodbye, and the pair of women eventually disappeared down the hallway.

Wife…?

Marinette’s head suddenly felt like it was spinning, threatening to float away from her body, so she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Marinette?”

“I’m okay!” she squeaked as she immediately spun around. “I-I mean… Y’know, I probably shouldn’t have heard that, but it’s not a… a big deal.” She gave her two future-friends a reassuring smile, though her voice sounded rattled, even to her own ears. “People grow up and get m-married... all the time, right? It’s not surprising.”

Nino opened his mouth as if to say something, but then stepped back and averted his eyes, a heavy looking expression on his face while he crossed his arms and rubbed a hand against his chin. “Ah, yeah... Sure.” He then jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I think we should be getting out of here pronto. I don’t want _that_ to happen a second time.”

“How about I take her?” Adrien suggested as he turned to face Nino. “You go get your speakers, and I’ll bring Marinette back to your apartment sooner, rather than later.”

“You sure about that?” Nino asked, making an odd face. “I, uh… You can’t exactly transform right now, right? That’s how we got here in the first place.”

“We should be okay,” Adrien said with a curious expression, his lips lifted in a confident smile as if he already had an idea forming. “You’d probably need to get a cab anyway. Wouldn’t it be weird if someone spotted Carapace carrying _your_ speakers across Paris?”

Nino slapped his forehead with a hiss. “Ah! You’re right! Didn’t think this whole plan through. But… You’re positive you wanna take her?”

Adrien nodded. “I was headed in that direction anyway. Your place is close to—Umm, an area I need to stop at. There was a little cell phone mix up this morning.”

“Ah, yeah.” Nino grinned widely, appearing to stifle a laugh. “Alya told me.” He then looked at Marinette and raised a curious brow. “That plan sound alright with you, Marinette?”

Marinette jumped when her two friends turned their attention back on her, and she waved her hands quickly in front of her. “It’s okay! Umm, yes. Perfectly fine.” She smiled softly and nodded, but couldn’t help her eyes as they briefly flicked back toward Adrien. Her nerves wouldn’t stop jittering. Why couldn’t he have grown up less cool? He still seemed like the same Adrien she’d always known, which was the one she had unfortunately fallen for and given up on.

So Nino gave them a quick goodbye, and she followed after Adrien when he moved down the hall in the opposite direction of his friend. Instead of going out the main entrance, however, he veered off through another set of doors, traveling deeper into the building.

“Aren’t we leaving?” Marinette asked, pointing out past the grand entryway.

“We’re making a quick stop,” Adrien assured her as he kept strolling down another hall. “I think this might be a better idea than just walking you through Paris.”

“Walk?” Marinette paused, but quickly trotted after him when he kept going. “We’re not taking a cab too?” _Or have his driver take us?_ Marinette wondered to herself, curious about that bit of info. But she didn’t press. It might have been something she shouldn’t learn. _Like how he’s_ **_married_** _,_ her brain fired out, and she physically stumbled at the intruding thought, mentally scolding herself for letting it bother her.

Adrien didn’t seem to notice her fumble as he led her to a set of double doors. “It’s probably not a good idea for us to be seen getting into a cab together.” He held open the door for her and waved his hand at the grand theater inside. “That might draw too much attention, and I’m afraid of what the press may try to dig up.”

“Right.” She nodded, letting that answer satisfy her curiosity, even though she thought it sounded off. Then again, everything was off about her situation. _I’m in the future._ _And there’s nothing wrong with Adrien trying to avoid a little bad press. We’ve done this before._

A short while later, Marinette had on a new coat with a matching hat and sunglasses, borrowed from the university’s drama club, which happened to be unattended since it was the weekend. Adrien promised he’d return all the clothing before they were missed.

Marinette admired the outfit, checking out her reflection in the dark window of a storefront as they waited at a stoplight, if only to keep her eyes off of the man standing right next to her. She was failing miserably, because her gaze kept flicking back to him. She couldn’t get over how tall he had grown. He was still handsome, even with his bright eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses and wild hair smothered for the time being beneath a comfortable looking beanie.

He caught her side glance right as the walk sign turned green and asked, “Is the outfit okay?”

Marinette faltered, but quickly caught herself and bolted after him over the crosswalk. “Of course! You’ve really got an eye for fashion, but that’s not surprising considering it’s practically your life!” She waved her hands in a panic. “Not that you have to confirm that if it still is—or isn’t! I shouldn’t know too much.”

He chuckled. “Well sure, what can I say, then? I just know what looks… uh, good.” He cleared his throat and averted his eyes for some reason. “I mean, it comes with experience.” As they reached the other side of the road, Adrien stepped gracefully up onto the curb, then stopped to pose like in one of his photoshoots.

Marinette paused at that, then let out a soft shriek when one of the cars behind her honked as the traffic light changed. She practically leapt up onto the sidewalk and nervously giggled, trying to fight down the embarrassed blush she could feel warming her face.

“Any particular reason you were doing a photoshoot at the university?” she asked as she jogged to catch back up with him, trying to make some kind of conversation that might not be classified as future-specific knowledge.

Adrien hummed as if considering whether or not that would be too much information. He must have decided it was safe. “Nino asked if I could help out some of his classmates. They wanted to try their hand at model photography.”

“I’m sure it was a breeze with you helping.” Marinette smiled up at him. “What with you being a professional and all.”

“Of course!” Adrien beamed, taking a confident step back before he strolled around her in what appeared to be another runway strut. “Although I’ve had a few years since you last saw me to _purr_ -fect my catwalk.” He then froze as Marinette blinked at him, but she was more surprised by his reaction than the joke he’d made. “But, uh… We should probably get out of here before anyone notices us.”


	8. Broken Mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this how you angst? I don’t know what classifies as angst enough to tag, but here’s a warning to prepare for a few tears toward the end(not your tears. Dunno if I could seriously make anyone cry with my writing). I was kind of uncertain about this chapter, but it led to something that I wouldn’t delete for the world. I love fluff and comedy, but sometimes, we can’t escape those heavy feels.

Adrien wished he could just call out Tikki and transform, because the trip would have been faster overall, but _that_ would obviously reveal Chat Noir’s identity to Past-Marinette, so he definitely wasn’t doing it. Tikki was completely content to remain in his pocket and keep hidden. At the very least, their stroll through Paris went uninterrupted, as Adrien wore his own disguise to help deter any fans. He might have gone with a taxi service, except that sometimes, those drivers could wind up being even nosier than the press.

The trip wasn’t long anyway. They were only a few blocks away from his friends’ apartment when Adrien’s phone—or rather, his wife’s phone—buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out to glance at the screen and saw that he had a message from his own cell that read, ‘Available to talk?’

He stopped walking and felt a soft bump against his back. Adrien turned to look over his shoulder and found Marinette rubbing her nose and fixing her skewed sunglasses from the unexpected collision. He couldn’t help the soft chuckle that escaped him, and when her eyes shot up and realized he was watching, she gave him a lopsided grin and a thumb’s up.

“Mind if I make an important call?” Adrien held up the cell phone, making sure to face the screen away from her, even though the case was some kind of cutesy, floral pattern. It was better than the alternative, because he knew for a fact that Marinette had a picture of the both of them together as her lock screen.

Under normal circumstances, Adrien would have prioritized getting Marinette back to Nino and Alya’s apartment, but his pregnant wife—who had already scared them with two instances of fainting—was asking if he had a moment to talk. That meant it was something important that couldn’t be shared over text, and the worry would eat at him if he didn’t call her back soon.

Luckily, Marinette seemed understanding and didn’t appear to question his taste in phone cases—then again, she had been there when he mentioned the phone mix up to Nino. “Of course! Go ahead.” She glanced around the area and pointed behind them to the front of an older building that looked to be closed with almost no people crowding around in front of it. “I’ll just give you some privacy and wait over there.”

Before she could step away, Adrien reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Hold on!” He turned to look over his shoulder at the opposite street corner, where a quaint little café was located. It felt like a better idea to have her sit down than for her to just stand somewhere awkwardly. It was around lunchtime anyway, so he could get her something while she waited.

“How about we make a stop?” He nodded toward the café before turning his attention back to Marinette. “It might be a long call.” _Especially if I have to be cryptic with my words._

Adrien frowned when he noticed an odd look on her face. Beneath the sunglasses, she appeared to be flushed. Then his eyes followed her lowered gaze and he suddenly understood why.

 _Crap._ He wasn’t used to _this_ Marinette, who—as Nino’s text briefly highlighted the night before—had just become the Guardian of the Miraculous Box. That also meant that, in her time, she had resolved to completely give up on her feelings for his younger-self, and here he was practically holding her hand. From what he could see of her expression, she must have been fighting down fairly conflicting emotions.

He released her wrist and pointed at the café. “We should definitely get a table while they’re not busy.”

“Yeah…” she answered quietly with a nod, following after him as he approached the tables that were arranged neatly outside. Seeing as the place only had a few customers, a waiter immediately met them and was able to take their orders. Adrien asked for tea, and though he told Marinette she could get whatever she wanted, she simply ordered a sparkling water.

While she sipped quietly at her drink, Adrien brought out Marinette’s cell phone again and dialed his own number. The phone only rang once, but before she even had a chance to say anything, Adrien quickly asked, “Are you alright?”

Marinette— _his_ Marinette—let out a soft giggle. “Just the usual morning sickness, but I’m feeling okay.” She paused when he let out a relieved sigh with the breath he’d been holding. “Adrien, I’m _fine.”_ Her voice sounded strained as she dragged out the last word. “That’s not what I called about anyway. You better not have canceled the photoshoot just to talk with me.”

“I didn’t. We finished up sooner than I thought.” He leaned back in the chair and glanced at Mini-Marinette, who appeared to be trying her best not to listen to the conversation taking place across from her. “In fact, I’m running a little errand for Nino while I swing back to his apartment.”

“His apartment?” Marinette repeated. “But… Past-me is there, right? I don’t think it’s a good idea to meet her.”

“Ah, yeah, about that.” Adrien grimaced as he scratched at the beanie covering his hair. “It’s too late. Way too late for that.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end before he heard her gasp softly. “Oh no… _She’s_ the errand, isn’t she?”

“Yep,” Adrien replied. “I’ll explain later, but it’s not her fault. What did you need to talk about?”

“Well, first, I wanted to apologize for taking your phone,” Marinette groaned. “That’s what I get for waking up before the alarm.”

He chuckled at that, because he was already used to her not being all-there when she woke up in the mornings. The exhaustion that came with her pregnancy just made those kind of situations more common. “It’s fine. After I stop off at Nino’s apartment, I can come to you.”

“About that,” Marinette started hesitantly. “Long story short, Papa’s cooking set off my nausea, and I’ve just been hanging in the park all morning to avoid the bakery.”

Adrien winced, already starting to think of alternative ideas. “Couldn’t you come back?” His gaze moved to Past-Marinette as he heard her whisper something, but he quickly realized she was just talking to Tikki, who was hidden in the coat’s pocket. “We’d be careful, not let _you-know-who_ see. Because you know I’m not comfortable with a hotel, to be honest.”

Adrien recalled her fainting incident at the restaurant… As well as the one from the previous morning. He didn’t like the idea of her being left alone, even if Plagg would always be nearby. Granted, Adrien could stay with her, but if he had to leave, there was still the risk of her fainting. Even if one of her episodes hadn’t been helped by the sweltering heat wave from an akuma, the doctor had said it could happen again.

“Well, Nathalie might have a solution for that.” Her voice sounded uncertain, and a sense of unease grew within him. “She told me that your father is in Milan, so she suggested I stay at the mansion.”

Two feelings immediately warred within him at that plan.

One: his need to keep Marinette safe.

Two: his distaste at the mention of his father.

Adrien had managed to keep his distance for so, so long. Despite the brief appearance he’d been allowed at their wedding, Adrien had no intention of ever forgiving _Hawk Moth_ for anything that he’d done, even if Gabriel _had_ returned the butterfly miraculous of his own accord… 

At his silence, Marinette continued on, “And Nathalie said that the chefs can make me a special menu that won’t incite my nausea.”

“It does sound like a great idea,” Adrien considered, feeling a little of his discomfort ebb away. With Nathalie as the one suggesting it, at least he knew that she was only being practical in her concern for Marinette’s health. After the lengths she had gone to, to make up for her mistakes... And _she_ was the one who had refused to fight when she learned Chat Noir’s identity—not jumped at the opportunity to steal the miraculous. “And there’s zero chance of running into _him_ if I wanted to come over?”

“He’s in Milan for the next eight days,” Marinette clarified. “Our past-selves should be gone well before then, right?”

“He’ll be in another country for the whole week! This akuma won’t be on the run for _that_ much time.” Adrien smiled down at past-Marinette, who seemed to be watching him curiously, her attention obviously drawn by his mention of the akuma. “They usually don’t last longer than a day at most.” He then smirked. “My ‘first’ akuma technically holds the record for three months, of course.”

_“That doesn’t count!”_

Adrien jumped at the two nearly identical voices creating an echo of sorts, one from over the phone, and the other sitting right across from him. “Alright, alright!” He rubbed his poor, exposed ear and glanced at Mini-Marinette, who looked troubled for some reason that he couldn’t decipher. “So, you’ll go with the new plan, for now?”

“Only if you’re okay with it,” Marinette answered.

“I want you to be as comfortable as possible,” Adrien said in a soft tone. “And this is the safest option.” And it was, because he couldn’t think of any better ideas. If she fainted again, Plagg could alert Nathalie, and she could take Marinette to the doctor, or even bring a specialist to her, if needed.

“Okay,” Marinette said. “I guess I’ll see you later if you decide to visit, then.”

“Oh, I’ll definitely be coming over as soon as I can, once I get everything taken care of on my end.” Adrien couldn’t keep the expectant grin off his face. It hadn’t been a full day since he’d last seen her, but he was already eager to return to her side. “I could even spend the night?”

She laughed—that beautiful, joyful laugh that warmed his chest. “That sounds fun. And Nathalie brought me some calamine, so we won’t have any interruptions this time.” She added in a softer voice, “Love you, _chaton.”_

He answered automatically, “Love you, too, buuuuuu—” His eyes widened as he caught himself before he could finish that particular nickname for his wife, his eyes switching to past-Marinette. “—uuuuh—bye.”

He quickly ended the call, his eyes not leaving the girl still sitting in front of him. Over the years he had come to know her, he was confident in being able to read her expressions—and even with a younger version, found it was pretty much the same.

So an uncomfortable, cold feeling washed over him at the suspicious narrow of her eyes, and that calculating gaze that seemed to bore into his thoughts and unravel all of his secrets. It was very much the same expression she made as Ladybug, and he could practically see her connecting the dots in her head.

Had he spilled nearly everything with just one botched word?

“E-everything alright?” Adrien asked, a nervous pitch to his voice that he couldn’t control.

His question seemed to jolt Marinette out of her thoughts when she jumped like she'd been shocked. “Oh, fine!” She casually tilted her head toward his cell phone, as if nothing odd had happened. “All done?”

Adrien asked the waiter for the check as soon as he returned, then the two of them promptly left the café.

The rest of their trip was awkwardly silent, Adrien not certain he wanted to say anything to clarify that it might have been a misunderstanding, or even ask about it in case that only helped to clue her in even more. Luckily, they didn’t have far left to travel, and the two of them eventually entered the apartment, Adrien leading the way to his friends’ home where he took out a copy of the key and unlocked the door.

Once they were inside, Adrien quickly removed his hat and sunglasses and curiously glanced around at the empty place. With the kitchen and living room right in front of him, and the hallway off to his left, he didn’t have to go far to see that no one was home. “Huh, Nino’s still not here? And we even stopped for a bit.”

“Maybe he’s stuck in traffic?” Marinette quietly responded while he sent a brief text to his friend asking what was up. Before he could even put the phone away, Nino shot him a flurry of replies.

 **Nino:** Cabs r stupid!

 **Nino:** And the Uber guy tried to scam me!

 **Nino:** ONE STAR!!!

Adrien couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. Reading it in text form, he could only imagine how his friend was actually raging. “Looks like Nino’s having some trouble.” He turned to Marinette, who had already removed the coat and hat and neatly folded them into a small pile. “But don’t worry, I’ll stay here until he gets back.”

“Oh!” Marinette seemed startled by that, her brow furrowed from her obvious discomfort. “That’s… Alright.”

“Marinette,” Tikki’s voice couldn’t help but travel in the small, quiet apartment as she whispered into Marinette’s ear. “It’s okay. It’s definitely not what you think.”

Well, that probably wasn’t a good sign. Adrien took a cautious step toward her, intending to get to the bottom of things. “Look, about earlier—”

“No!” Marinette suddenly shrieked, waving her hands around wildly. The coat and hat fell to the floor with the sunglasses clattering after, which she squeaked about and quickly dropped down to scoop up. “No, no no no no! I don’t want to know anything else about the future! Even if it’s the worst possible thing or-or something terrible...”

He stopped moving, raising a curious eyebrow. “Are we… talking about what I said on the phone?” She had heard him almost call Marinette ‘buginette,’ right? If she had come to the conclusion that _he_ had said ‘love you’ to someone that might be Ladybug over the phone— _which was herself_ —then… “Why would you think _that’s_ bad?”

“Why wouldn’t it be!” she shouted, unceremoniously slamming the coat and hat over the back of the couch. “It’s… ugh! I mean… It _is_ bad, right?” Her expression suddenly wavered, and Adrien could see the doubt grow in her eyes.

He resisted the urge to wrap her in a protective hug. Instead, he kept his distance and wracked his brain to understand what she was thinking. _What exactly did she hear out of that conversation?_ But the longer he remained silent, the more she appeared to worry.

“Did I jump to conclusions?” she mumbled. He opened his mouth to answer, but Marinette turned away and started pacing in front of the windows. “I did, didn’t I!? I mean, of course I did! It was just some stupid idea in my head thanks to Nino and his bride, but it couldn’t have been _that,_ not in a million years! I was just…” She pounded the flat of her palms against her forehead. “Stupid, stupid. I assumed the worst possible thing and… I’m so sorry, Adrien.”

He stared at her for a brief moment, trying to make sense of her mess of words before shaking his head and dropping onto the couch, gently patting the space next to him. She hesitated as her gaze switched between him and the cushion, but with a soft nudge from Tikki against her shoulder, Marinette eventually shuffled around and plopped down at the other end, putting a sizable gap between them. She stuffed her hands between her knees as she bit at her lip.

“So,” he started softly, yet she still winced at the sound of his voice. “What was that about Nino’s bride? We’re not talking about Alya, are we?”

“No…” Marinette sighed. “It was Nino’s DJ job. The bride that canceled on him?” She spared a quick glance at him before she averted her gaze. “Her fiancé cheated on her.”

“Oh... Ouch.” Adrien grimaced. “I hadn’t heard that detail. So, what does that have to do with this?”

“Well… It’s just… your conversation?” She fidgeted uncomfortably and lowered her head, seeming to curl further in on herself. “You were acting a little odd. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop… But… Your wife is—Just from the one side, it just sounded like you were…” Her eyes finally moved up, and he could see the embarrassment flush red across her cheeks. “Sneaking around?”

He stared at her for a moment, his phone conversation quickly replaying in his head, only this time, he tried to hear it from Marinette’s point of view before everything finally clicked in his thoughts. “Oh… OH.” He _had_ been acting suspicious, yes? At least, coupling the one-sided conversation she had heard with trying to avoid the cab...

He flopped against the back of the couch, staring up at nothing. “It… It really did sound like that, didn’t it?”

She groaned as her head dropped into her hands, hiding her face. “I’m sorry! You can’t say much in front of me, so that’s why it sounded off! And I know you would never, _ever_ do anything like that, but I got carried away and I… So much can change in seven years...”

Under normal circumstances, it might have been an extreme conclusion to jump to, but this wasn’t a normal circumstance, was it? He knew Marinette, and with everything about their past revealed to _him,_ it was obvious she’d only been worried. _Because she probably thinks I’m married to Kagami,_ he thought glumly. _She was just concerned for her friend._

“See?” Tikki hugged Marinette from where she sat on her shoulder. “I told you, you were overthinking things.”

“Sorry,” Marinette repeated, slumping against the couch and groaning as she rubbed her eyes. “I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“It’s alright. Anyone would have thought the same, hearing that.” Adrien managed to hold in the laugh that threatened to escape him. He couldn’t help but find it funny that she’d thought he might have been cheating on _her future-self_ with _her future-self,_ even if she actually didn’t know that little detail.

“I can at least explain this much,” he started softly, wanting to be partially honest in order to ease her anxiety. “That was actually my wife. On the phone. I had a… _disagreement_ with my father, and right now she can’t stay in our apartment for health reasons. So he offered for her to stay in the mansion, and I was just being stubborn because I didn’t want to see him.”

“Is she okay?” Marinette asked softly. “Your wife?”

“Nathalie is with her.” Adrien leaned forward and propped his head up on his palm, giving her a warm smile at the comforting thought. He wouldn’t have to worry about her while she was at the mansion. “I don’t think she likes the idea of having what’s essentially a ‘nanny,’ but she’s in the best possible company if she needs any help.”

“It’s not much.” Marinette smiled back at him, and Adrien couldn’t help but take in her expression, relieved to see that she didn’t appear as tense as she had been a minute ago. “But it sounds like you two are happy.”

“We are,” he answered softly.

Marinette tapped her fingers together as she watched him quietly before she curled her hands around one another. “I’m so… so glad, Adrien.”

His eyes moved over her again, and while she was still smiling, Adrien couldn’t help but notice an off-putting look in her eye, almost as if she were trying to hide something…

He froze when the realization hit him.

_She’s letting me go._

That expression. Past version of Marinette or not, it tore him up inside to see her look at him like _that._ He didn’t want to watch this event while it happened. He didn’t want to bear witness to the suffering she had experienced from the weight of her responsibilities _and_ the pain of thinking the boy she loved would never return it.

Why couldn’t he have realized her feelings sooner? He could have erased her pain so easily.

 _“Marinette…”_ He reached out and laid his hand on her shoulder, squeezing her gently while Tikki flew off across the room, probably to give them space. Marinette looked up at him in surprise. “You don’t have to...” _What? Worry? Suffer alone because I’m right here and we’ll be together in your future? What can I tell her without screwing this up?_

She stared back at him, gaze wavering, until her eyes suddenly went wide. “You… you know?” she asked quietly. He could see the small hint of tears beginning to form. “About…?”

 _Crap. Crap crap crap._ He had wanted to comfort her. _This is worse. This is so much worse._

“Did I tell you?” He could hear the panic creeping into her voice again. “Or did you figure it out?”

“A little of both,” Adrien found himself answering, his voice sounding broken even to his own ears.

Her expression said it all. The dismay. The hurt. The rejection. Every one of her fears about this moment seemed to be crushing her from all the assumptions she was probably jumping to. She still thought she was the only one with any feelings between them.

“It’s…” he started softly, trying to find the words that would fix this without ruining everything. “It’s okay. You—you’re amazing and so, so strong…”

“A-are we still friends?” Marinette’s voice was barely above a whisper as she interjected, turning her head away like she didn’t want to know the answer.

“Best friends.” Adrien smiled, wanting to tell her that it was _so much more_ than that. But he couldn’t. Her life was so much better now. _His_ life was so amazing with her in it. But if she knew more than this, would their bright future still come to pass? How was it fair that she had to go through Hell just to be happy?

He wanted to reassure her, to spill everything just to see her smile again. He didn’t want to be the reason for the pain and hurt that she was suffering. How could he… How could he not notice sooner that this amazing girl was his best friend, his partner, his everyday Ladybug and the love of his life?

“I’m sorry,” Adrien blurted without thinking, but that was probably not the thing to say, because a tear finally slid down Marinette’s cheek.

She wiped at it and sniffed. “I-I’m not upset.” She covered her eyes and turned away.

“You are,” Adrien said softly, aching to somehow wash away her misery. Without thinking about it, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and laid his head against her hair, but he didn’t let go even when he felt her stiffen. “You don’t have to hold it in and pretend that everything’s okay.” He fought against his own emotions as she shuddered with a quiet sob. “I’m sorry, Marinette. I’m so, so sorry.”

Like a puppet whose strings had been cut, she collapsed against him, and he held her tightly, making sure that she didn’t fall.

He wanted to say that everything would be alright. She was the light of his life, and they would become a family, the way they’d always dreamed. They would defeat Hawk Moth. They could be together. They even had a hamster!

But he could only hold her, and offer her some comfort that the boy she loved would be happy.

And he had to leave her thinking that it wasn’t because of her.


	9. Shards of Glass

Marinette found herself standing inside the extravagant entryway of the Agreste mansion with a suitcase set by her feet. She had nervously waited in the park while Nathalie retrieved it from her apartment, reassuring her that past-Adrien was fine and didn’t suspect a thing, as she had distracted him easily enough.

But shouldn’t _that_ have been a concern in itself?

_Okay,_ she might have been overthinking things when Plagg wound up being the voice of reason to calm her down. Past-Adrien knowing that Nathalie knew he was here shouldn’t have been a big concern. It wouldn’t change anything about their time-line, right? Though it was more about the fact that he already learned so much that bothered Marinette—even such miniscule information. How long until something big slipped that might alter the fabric of their future together?

"Marinette?" Nathalie's concerned voice brought her out of her thoughts as she closed the wide doors behind the taxi driver. The kind man must have read the tabloids, because he’d refused to let Marinette carry her own bags up to the mansion. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, uh, yes. Just processing." She laughed softly, an awkward sound that echoed in the spacious foyer. "I don't think Adrien's too thrilled that I'll be staying, but we don’t really have another option that we’re both comfortable with."

"I'm sure it will—" Nathalie suddenly grew quiet, and Marinette looked up to follow her wide gaze and nearly jumped when she saw Gabriel Agreste silently descending the stairs. "Sir? I thought that you were already on your way to Milan for your conference?"

"There was a delay.” Gabriel frowned, but the steely expression wasn’t directed at her. His attention was mainly on the tie of his suit as he fiddled with it, the gloved fingers of his right hand shaking when he tried to bend them. “I had to find a replacement chauffeur so that Marinette could have use of the car."

“Having trouble?” Nathalie strolled forward as he arrived at the bottom step, and Gabriel moved his hands aside when Nathalie reached out to fix the tie herself.

“Thank you, Nathalie.” He straightened up and held his arms behind his back. “It seems my hand is a bit stiff due to the cold.”

Marinette tried not to so obviously stare, however, it was difficult to avoid when making direct eye-contact with the man. Unlike the gloves he wore, Gabriel Agreste didn’t bother to hide the marks on his face, even though, as Paris’ leading eccentric fashion mogul, he would probably be able to get away with a fashionable mask of some sort. But aside from his initial recovery, Gabriel had never worn anything over the scars that marred the left side of his face, their jagged lines twisting over his skin from the missing chunk of earlobe.

His gaze focused on Marinette as he stepped closer, and she froze up like a deer in headlights, panicked that he had noticed her staring.

"Madame Dupain-Cheng, I'm relieved to see you well." Gabriel’s tone didn’t sound offended, and his eyes seemed soft as he actually smiled at her. "I was worried when I saw the news yesterday, especially with what happened at the luncheon."

"You were watching the akuma attack?" Marinette asked, not certain she had heard him correctly.

She noticed Gabriel flinch, but the motion was so faint that she doubted it had happened. "I was just a bit concerned about the state of Paris' heroes,'' he said slowly. "They protect the city, but I can’t help but find myself worried about their safety, as of late.” His eyes, very briefly, flicked down over her figure, toward her stomach. “Many citizens are upset after seeing what happened to Ladybug."

Marinette shifted uneasily on her feet. “You don’t have to pretend.”

“Ah.” Gabriel moved his good hand forward and adjusted his tie, almost nervously. “I wasn’t certain if you were comfortable talking about your identity like that.”

“Well, everyone here knows my secret.” She glanced back at Nathalie, who nodded in return.

“Does that mean I can come out?” a muffled whine rose up from her purse, but without waiting for any invitation or answer to that, Plagg phased through the bag and into the open.

“Good afternoon, Plagg.” Gabriel inclined his head toward the kwami. “It has been quite a while since we last met.”

“Eh, not long enough.” Plagg narrowed his eyes, not bothering to veil any distaste for the man in front of him. “I’m just here to watch over Marinette while Adrien covers for her.” He jabbed a paw at Gabriel. “And the only reason I’m not cataclysm-ing your face is because you at least had the sense to stop.” He folded his arms as he eyed Gabriel’s scars, unabashed. “Helping Adrien was the only good decision you made as a father, but that doesn’t mean it redeems you.”

Marinette’s eyes flicked between Plagg and Gabriel uncomfortably, warily watching both of their deepening frowns. While she didn’t think it was a good idea to egg him on, that didn’t mean she disagreed with Plagg’s words.

“I agree,” Gabriel finally murmured, much to Marinette’s surprise. “I will live with my choices, offer help where I can, but I don’t expect anyone—” his gaze turned toward Marinette at that. “—to forgive me for what I’ve done. Especially not Adrien.”

“Yeah? Well… Good.” Plagg huffed while he floated back to sit on Marinette’s shoulder, glaring at Gabriel and lashing his tail. “Cause we don’t.”

“Nathalie." At Gabriel’s request, she stepped up with a nod. "See to it that Marinette has all of her needs taken care of." He turned to her with another warm smile. "I want your stay to be as relaxing as possible."

Marinette pursed her lips, before dipping her head. "Thank you… ah..."

Gabriel cleared his throat. "No need to be so formal. You may call me Gabriel or Monsieur Agreste, whatever you feel most comfortable with."

“How about ‘garbage?’” Plagg muttered by her ear, and Marinette had to stifle her reaction, even though she didn’t know whether to laugh or scold him. Luckily, Gabriel didn’t appear to have heard.

"Thank you... Gabriel. This is all very kind of you," she answered politely.

"And yet, I never feel as if it is enough," Gabriel said quietly before nodding to her. "I hope your stay is pleasant, but now I must leave."

Nathalie bid him adieu as Gabriel exited, holding the door open before closing it behind him.

"Now then," Nathalie started, and Marinette turned toward her. "Is there anything you'd like the chefs to know for your meals?"

Marinette started by naming off a few items that they found to trigger her nausea, which eventually turned into quite an extensive list. Practically anything with a smell to it had set her off, but despite some of the complicated requests, Nathalie was happy to oblige. They went back and forth for a bit, going over some of the foods found to actually help with pregnancy to make sure that Marinette was okay with them.

Before long, Marinette must have started to look as tired as she felt, because Nathalie quickly announced that she would discuss everything more with the chefs before whisking her upstairs to rest. As Nathalie led her into the place where she’d be staying, Marinette was surprised when she recognized Adrien's old room.

"Monsieur Agreste felt you might be more comfortable in here than one of the other guest rooms," Nathalie explained when she caught Marinette’s curious expression. “Apart from the lack of Adrien’s personal belongings, we haven’t made many changes.”

"I can't thank you enough for everything, Nathalie." Marinette all but collapsed as she dropped down onto the bed, setting her purse and bag nearby while Nathalie carried her suitcase over to the closet.

"No thanks necessary, Marinette." Nathalie smiled softly. "Just rest and don't exert yourself. If you need anything, you can call or text, or send Plagg. I'll be nearby to help."

When Nathalie left the room, Marinette flopped back onto the comforter, feeling exhausted just from what little she had done. Plagg flew above her, dipping in and out of sight as he inspected every nook and cranny.

"How nostalgic," he hummed, rising up to the bookshelves on the second floor balcony. "I haven't been back here in awhile."

"It smells stale." Marinette wrinkled her nose. While Adrien’s father could afford the upkeep, and she clearly smelled the cleaning solutions the staff used, she still picked up the scent of something stagnant beneath it. It _had_ been several years since Adrien left. "Plagg, do you know how to open a window?"

"No problem!" He zipped down to the desk that had once housed Adrien's computer and landed on a slim remote sitting on top. Within seconds, one of the tall glass panels slowly opened outward to let in a fresh, autumn breeze. "How's that?"

"Perfect, thank you," Marinette mumbled softly as she curled over onto the bed, not even bothering to change into something more comfy or climb under the covers. The room wasn't cold, even though no one had been in it recently.

“Are you tired? Or do you feel like you’re going to faint again?” Marinette peeked out through her eyelids to find Plagg hovering in front of her face, his expression scrunched up with concern. “You need me to get Nathalie?”

With a soft sigh, she reached out and patted his head. “Don’t worry, Plagg. Maybe it’s just the pregnancy, but I think our meeting with Adrien’s father was enough to drain what was left of my energy.”

Plagg’s feet floated up as he reclined into a more relaxed position. “But you’ve met with him a few times before, right? You didn’t seem too bothered by him then.”

“That was different.” Marinette sat up on her elbows so that she wouldn’t start to fall asleep in the middle of their conversation. “Adrien’s always been with me, and there’s usually a crowd of people around us.” She tapped a finger against her lips as she recalled the few times she had interacted with Gabriel. They were always social events, where the public expected a father might show up in support of. “Not that I’m afraid of him or anything, it’s just weird seeing him go from Hawk Moth to… to…”

“Creepy, watchful father-in-law?” Plagg finished with a mischievous grin.

Marinette couldn’t hold back the laugh that escaped her. “Plagg! I wouldn’t say creepy… More like, unexpectedly... doting?”

Plagg stuck his tongue at her and spit out a sharp raspberry sound. “Puh-lease! That guy? Doting? He’s just sucking up to get in your good graces so he can meet Adrien’s kid.”

“Not that I think things are completely fine between us,” she mumbled. “But I wouldn’t go so far as to bar him from ever seeing the baby.” Marinette lowered a hand to rub against her abdomen gently. “Ever since he returned the butterfly miraculous, he’s never forced us to do anything we weren’t comfortable with.”

“Well, if it were up to me, I’d hold it above his head.” Plagg cackled wickedly. “Make him suffer, maybe even beg.” He then shrugged. “But you’re the one who caught a glimpse into his thoughts, so you get to be the judge.”

Marinette winced at the reminder of their final confrontation with the man they once knew as Hawk Moth. Plagg’s comment was a crude representation of that chaotic event.

Adrien lay still as death from a wish gone terribly, terribly wrong.

His father, glowing with the power of the two stolen miraculous, had simply frozen in place.

But she hadn’t.

Even without her miraculous, without Tikki, without the suit, she’d jumped up and grabbed one of the ladybug earrings to try and take them back—to stop what was happening and wishing that, if it couldn’t be undone, that she might take his place instead.

And for some reason, when she’d touched her own miraculous, Gabriel’s unbidden thoughts had spilled into her mind. Every spiraling word and feeling and absolute horror over what he had done slammed into her consciousness before a burst of bright light knocked her to the ground.

That was the last thing she remembered before Marinette had woken up in the hospital from a three-day coma. Adrien was there, in an absolute panic, apologizing profusely for breaking into her room to bring her the miraculous box because he thought the kwami might have been able to help her, and he was sorry that he let his father run off because he was worried about getting her to the nearest paramedic when she didn’t wake up—

She had crushed all of his concerns with a hug, laughing that any of _that_ could have possibly been on her mind when Adrien was alive and well in front of her.

Marinette rubbed her fingers together, tracing the pale, thin scar on the palm of her right hand—the only visible mark that remained of that battle.

“That was the first time I couldn’t fix anything,” she said softly, reminded of the devastated streets and buildings. The city workers, for the first time ever since Hawk Moth’s appearance, had needed to step up their game to repair the akuma damages themselves. The people of Paris had been surprisingly forgiving, most simply worried for their heroes. Thanks to the efforts of their team, no one had been severely hurt.

“We were barely conscious, but Tikki could still feel you,” Plagg explained as he must have noticed the restless fiddling of her hands. “And I think she managed to protect you from the brunt of that mess when Adrien’s old man pulled off the miraculous.” He floated above her and patted her hair, like he was trying to reassure her. “So don’t let it bug you.”

“Mmhmm,” Marinette simply hummed as she laid her head against her folded arms, letting the memories slowly fade. She had already shared these tribulations with Adrien and her friends. They weren’t the haunting nightmares they used to be. Their resurgence now might have simply been her fatigue getting the better of her.

“Doesn’t mean I forgive him,” Plagg mumbled. A moment of silence passed between them before he spoke up again. “Want me to turn down the lights?”

“Sorry, Plagg,” Marinette laughed softly, the weariness creeping into her voice as she closed her eyes and shifted around to settle herself more comfortably against the bed. “If you could? I think I need a cat-nap.”

“The best kind!” Plagg purred as he zipped off. The room eventually darkened, even the windows along the wall tinting to hide the outside light. Only the one window remained open to let in a bit of the afternoon sunshine, giving the room a soft and cozy glow.

She had almost drifted off when her phone buzzed from inside her purse.

"Adrien wants to know if you made it alright." Plagg's voice was muffled as he read the text.

"Sleeping," Marinette murmured, trying to suppress a yawn as her hand flopped around the bed sheets, reaching toward her bag. "But good."

"I let him know already," Plagg answered as he phased out from her purse.

"You're being unexpectedly helpful." Marinette peeked through one of her eyelids to watch him float above her.

"Hey, I have my moments." He gave her a wide grin. "In fact, I'm going to make sure there's absolutely no camembert anywhere in the mansion while you sleep."

Marinette giggled as Plagg flew off. "Thank you _so much,_ Plagg," she said sarcastically before yawning. "I'll just be... here..."

It didn't take long for her to drift off, unconcerned about leaving the single window open. She had Plagg to watch out for her, and the mansion had its own security, so it wasn't as if someone could just drop in without anyone knowing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not at all foreshadowing. *end sarcasm* This chapter was a bit short, but it’s companion POV is suuuuper long, so it had to be split.
> 
> Also, I hope that wasn’t too much of a dumb information dump? I wanted some insight to the final Hawk Moth fight. Obviously, I am a fan of the idea that Gabriel will somehow make his wish, which horribly backfires by taking Adrien in order to keep the balance, and while that’s bad for our sunshine boy—SEE WHAT YOU DID GABRIEL!? No wonder Adrien doesn't forgive him.
> 
> Also, also, I slowed down writing a bit because I was suffering from 'computer vision syndrome,' which sucks that it's a thing that exists at all. Turns out staring at tiny text on a computer screen for twelve+ hours isn't healthy! I've got it under control now and feel WAY better(I wanted to sit and just keep writing, but that just made things worse), but with my necessary computer breaks, I'm down to one completed buffer chapter, so uploads will be slightly slower.
> 
> I ideally want to keep with the weekly update schedule, but don't be afraid if I need to take a brief hiatus to get some stuff worked out. My work also starts back next week, which means less time to write. :( But I'll keep on trucking, because I love writing this!


	10. Very Good Friends

Bored.

Adrien was _super_ bored.

His future-self said he would be gone all morning for a photoshoot, something that wasn't a surprise to know that he was still doing, so Present Adrien felt it was okay to share.

"I don't see why future-you still needs school when the modeling is obviously working." Plagg yawned as his kwami lounged in a square of sunlight near the balcony.

"It's not something I could rely on forever, Plagg," Adrien answered, staring at the idle intro screen to Mecha Strike III. Being more of a multiplayer franchise, he’d lost interest fairly quickly without any non-computer players to challenge. "Besides, there are more things in life than modeling." His thoughts drifted to his friends, finding himself once again wondering about _their_ futures.

He was disappointed he hadn't seen any of them—like his brief run-in with Nathalie. But since he wasn't able to leave the apartment, it wasn’t like he could run into them, and his future friends weren’t going to just stop by when he wasn't home.

It was so much like his current home situation that it took a tremendous effort of willpower to break his usual habits and just transform to escape. He had a slew of entertainment to choose from: foosball, a selected assortment of anime and movies, plus a game system. And the apartment was large and spacious, but it still drove him crazy to be stuck inside.

And there were few places he could access. Aside from the living room, kitchen, up-stairs and guest room that he had slept in, he wasn't allowed in any of the other rooms—of which there were four. Present Adrien and his wife obviously slept in the master bedroom, and from what he had been told, there was an office and ‘the mystery room.’ His future-self claimed it was storage, but from the way he had quickly come up with that answer, it only made Adrien suspect that it was something else he couldn't see. The last one, he was simply told that he couldn't go in due to major future spoilers.

So while he limply draped himself over the couch, trying to come up with something entertaining, a robotic voice eventually spoke up from the TV and caused him to jump. “Incoming video call from Alix Kubdel.”

Plagg groaned from his place in the sun. “Come on, can’t a kwami get some shut-eye around here?”

“You’ll just have to ignore it, Plagg.” Adrien settled back against the couch with a sigh. “It’s not like I can answer it.”

As soon as he finished talking, the TV screen flipped on, and Adrien found himself staring at the same Alix that he had met back when Timetagger attacked. “Huh,” she said with a smile. “Hey there, kitten.”

“Uh…” Adien’s wide eyes flicked between a surprised Plagg and the TV. “I didn’t think I could do that.”

Alix laughed and waved her hand. “Don’t worry. The device just responded to your voice.” She tilted her head and gave him what looked like a mischievous smile. “I thought I might be able to catch present-you by calling the apartment directly.”

“Oh, sorry, he’s still out,” Adrien answered. He’d had the entire apartment to himself for the last few hours, aside from a surprise visit from Nathalie again. He didn’t know why though, since she had asked him to hide in the guest room until she left. “Is there an emergency?”

Alix raised an eyebrow. “Nah. I would just transform if it was that bad. I wanted to let him know that I may have made a breakthrough in figuring out this time-line dilemma.”

“You did?” Adrien straightened up at that. “So... Ladybug and I can go back to our own time now?”

“Well… Not necessarily.” Alix frowned. “We’ve still got to find the akuma. That’s your only ticket back home, because that’s how it happened before.” She crossed her arms over one another and pointed in opposite directions. “Fluff didn’t sense anything because it turns out this is all just one big loop.”

“Happened before?” Adrien repeated. “I thought Present-me said he didn’t remember any of this happening at all?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a theory on that, and I had a few questions to run by adult-you just to make sure.” Alix twirled a finger in the air, tracing out a circle. “But I did a little _burrowing_ and managed to figure out that this is basically a self-fixing time-line.”

“So, by ‘burrowing,’ do you mean you looked into the future?” he asked, intrigued.

Alix barked out a laugh. “If I could see the future, then we wouldn’t be talking to each other.” She leaned forward with a playful smirk. “Or would we?” Alix turned her head, waving her hand through the air and sighing. “Time stuff can be a major headache if you think about it too hard. That’s why mini-bug entrusted me with Fluff, since I don’t sweat over the details.”

“Like the details of a self-fixing time-line?” Adrien grinned.

“Well, you can see that for yourself.” She then winked at him, making Adrien pause. “But I’ll explain all that to older-you later, because right now I gotta head out.” She waved, giving him a big grin. “Don’t have too much fun out there, kitten!” She then ended the call, the TV screen quickly turning black.

“Finally,” Plagg mumbled sleepily, setting his head back down and closing his eyes. “Some peace and quiet.”

Adrien ignored him, silent because Alix’s words buzzed around in his mind like a riled up swarm of bees. “So, the time-line is self-fixing... and this has all happened before...” he mumbled.

"Whazzat?" Plagg snorted sleepily, his head jolting up.

Adrien smirked at Plagg as he stood and strolled closer to his kwami. "Alix said that the time-line was a loop, which means, even if our future-selves don’t remember any of it, they’ve already gone through all of this. So if I want to transform and go out, it won’t change what’s happened in their past, because it’s already happened before… Right?”

"Didn't future-you say not to leave?" Plagg moaned.

"He's worried that I might alter his future—err, my future. His present," Adrien pointed out. "But I get the feeling that Alix was trying to hint at something.” He furrowed his brows, his curiosity growing with each passing second.

Plagg rolled over and let out a quick sigh. “She was just teasing you! We should definitely listen to future-you and stay put.” He rubbed his paws over the plush carpet. “Sit back and relax. It’s a much better idea than jumping around Paris.”

“But what if it’s important?” Adrien continued, tapping at his chin. “It could be something I need to do that she can’t tell future-me.”

“If she was trying to tell you something important, then she did a bad job of it.” Plagg stuck out his tongue. “You don’t even know what it is, _if_ it’s anything at all!”

“I’ll be extra careful then.” Adrien grinned while Plagg just let out another groan. “Besides, if I’m wrong, then I’ll be quick, because there’s a place I was curious to see.”

“Why can’t we just—” Plagg started, but Adrien had already made up his mind. Before his Kwami could continue to protest, he called out the transformation phrase and hopped out through the balcony.

It didn't take him long to reach the mansion, since the rooftops of Paris had not changed in the slightest. They had remained relatively the same after several hundred years, afterall, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise that they were still familiar to him in only less than a decade.

His home seemed exactly the way it did in the past—or his present? Either way, when he landed on a nearby roof to peer over at his room, it didn’t appear any different. Even the window that he rarely ever closed had been left open, though the place was dark with no one inside. Aside from looking bare of his belongings, it didn't seem as if anything had changed.

So Adrien extended his baton to jump across the street and dropped silently in through the window, his gaze shifting about once he was inside. His eyes eventually landed on the bed, and he was met with the curious sight of a pair of bags placed in the middle, the sheets slightly rumpled as if they had been laid on recently.

Before he could move closer to investigate, the bathroom door slid open, and his gaze whipped around as a woman stepped out. She yawned lazily, stretching her arms above her head with her eyes turned down. Adrien didn't dare move, as she hadn't noticed him yet. Maybe if he crept slowly to the side...

The movement must have caught her attention, because her gaze lifted.

"Back from your—" Her voice cut out as she let out a strangled sounding shriek, one that startled him enough that he jumped back to land on all fours, crouched in preparation to quickly spring away. But he was completely frozen, not really knowing what to say or do. He was obviously busted, even though he didn't know who this woman was or why she was in his old room.

In his panic, it took him a moment to understand the strange nagging at his thoughts. Even though he had assumed her to be a complete stranger, there were features he slowly began to recognize that were simply more... grown up. He took in her eyes, her face, the loose hair that hung over her shoulders...

That’s when it hit him.

_Marinette._

He had only seen her with her hair down once. No wonder it took a minute for him to recognize her!

His heart raced with both excitement and terror. He wasn't supposed to be here. He wasn't supposed to know anything about the future. But he couldn't help the thrill that rushed through him at seeing his friend all grown up.

"Umm... Chat Noir?" Her trembling voice pulled him out of his thoughts and rebooted his brain, and he hesitantly stood, stepping toward her carefully. He’d been too distracted to realize that she had collapsed to her knees against the floor, both hands tightly gripping the door frame for support.

"I... sorry," he mumbled quickly, realizing that he must have scared her. Marinette had always been easily spooked, so it looked like that hadn’t changed a bit.

"What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be out like this," she exclaimed as he held out his hand for her to take. She glanced at his claws hesitantly before accepting it, and he helped pull her to her feet. When she straightened, his gaze automatically followed her movement, and he was surprised to find his head tilting back. She stood only slightly taller than him, if he pulled his cat ears straight and counted those, but it was still an incredibly weird feeling to look up to see Marinette in the eye!

"Uh... I was just... curious?" He shrugged awkwardly, before his smile dropped. "Wait!" He waved his hands quickly and pointed at her before she could say anything else. "What are _you_ doing here?" He tilted his head as a curious grin grew over his face. "Do you live here now?"

Marinette blinked at him before she burst out laughing. "Oh, oh no! No. Not that it isn't a possibility." She winked before stepping around him to move to the bed, sighing as she sat down on top of the covers. "I wasn’t feeling well, so Nathalie suggested I rest here."

"Huh." Adrien rubbed his chin, the gears spinning to fill in the blanks of what that meant. "So you work at m—uh, for Gabriel Agreste?"

Marinette's eyes widened as she seemed to hesitate. "I... probably shouldn't say much about that. You can't know about your future."

Another nagging sensation, until this one suddenly clicked. Marinette knew about him being from the past. "I thought it was weird you weren’t questioning me being here.” He pointed an accusatory claw at her. “You must know about the akuma! Does that mean you’re—" A look of panic crossed her face "—Multimouse now? I mean, again, actually."

"O-on occasion." She smiled at him, tapping her fingers together as she let out a sigh. "Now that we all know our identities, it looks like I'm back on the team roster." She then waved her hands wildly. "Except now! Not now! I'm taking a bit of a break... so I don't have Mullo with me."

"So..." Adrien started, taking a slow step toward her. "You know who I am?" He pointed at himself. Another step. “Beneath the mask, I mean.” 

Her eyebrows drew together while she hesitated, but Marinette eventually appeared to relax and then nodded. "Yes, I know it’s you, Adrien."

 _She knows._ His heart pounded, an excited jolt traveling through his body like a playful, electric shock. _Marinette knows!_

Even though the secret was obviously out, Adrien still hesitated before he said, "Claws in."

The green glow surrounded him, and Plagg flew off above their heads, crossing his paws over his chest as his gaze moved silently between them.

"I guess... Is this okay then?" Adrien found his hand rubbing at the back of his neck instinctively. He mentally chided himself to stop that. Why was he nervous about being around Marinette? "Even though you already know, it feels good to share my identity like this." He added softly, "I don't really like secrets."

Marinette giggled and patted the bed sheets beside her. "I know." He scrambled to join her on the bed and sat next to her. "But you need to understand the importance of keeping your identity a secret in your time, even from your closest friends."

"Right," Adrien sighed sadly.

"There are a lot of complications behind that," Marinette continued. "But frankly, you would be in danger if you knew each others' identities." She placed a warm hand on his shoulder, and Adrien found himself leaning toward her. "So it may hurt, seeing all of what might be, but you just have to be patient. Answer the call, defeat Hawk Moth, and protect Paris."

"And Ladybug," Adrien answered, and Marinette patted his shoulder with a smile, which quickly faded when Marinette suddenly jerked to the side, her hand moving up to cover her mouth.

"Marinette?" Adrien reached toward her, but she flinched away, almost as if she were avoiding his touch. “What’s wrong?”

"I'm... ugh..." She shifted her legs as if to move off the bed, and Adrien shot forward to grab her arm when she nearly collapsed. "C-camembert..." she managed to stammer out. "I forgot you used to carry it."

“Camembert?” He tried to make sense of that. Was it an allergy? He didn’t remember Marinette having anything like that. So why was she…

Marinette suddenly tore out of his grip and stumbled to the floor, practically falling over the trash bin at the bedside.

"Should I get Nathalie? Or a doctor? She can get a doctor!" Adrien yelped, trying to keep the panic from his tone. Now was not the time to freak out.

"It’s not that bad. I'm f-fine..." Marinette managed to say before leaning over the trash can again, her sides heaving.

"But you're not!" Adrien insisted.

"It’s..." she pinched her nose and took a stuttering breath through her mouth. "The smell of your camembert," she mumbled. "It makes me nauseous."

"Oh!" Adrien scrambled away and called out, "Plagg!" He then pulled the hidden cheese out of his pocket and tossed it into the air. His kwami dove in and eagerly chomped it up.

Kneeling down by Marinette’s side, his hands hovered over her back. "Is there something you can take?"

Her eyes lit up and her hand shook as she pointed toward the bed. "In the large bag... There should be something."

Adrien quickly jumped up and grabbed the bag sitting next to her purse. She hadn’t specified to actually hand it over, so to help her more quickly, he opened it up to search inside without hesitation.

Unlike a normal purse, there were various assortments of snacks: crackers, pretzels, and even a pack of ginger tea. There were also some wristbands of some sort and... He dug deeper and pulled out a bottle of pills, unable to help it when he caught sight of the large print. The words registered in his brain, and he froze, forgetting for a moment his mission to help his good friend.

"Adrien?" Marinette's weak voice broke him from his stupor, and he shuffled over before holding the bottle of pills out to her.

"Will these... uh... Will these help?"

Marinette lifted her gaze, and her eyes widened when she saw the bottle in his hand. 

“PregEase,” she whispered quietly with a groan, but accepted the bottle from him with a soft, "Thank you," before looking down at the label.

"They're chewable," he offered helpfully, realizing she was trying to find the directions. "I saw it when I was... yeah."

Marinette quickly took a single pill, then leaned back against the side of the bed with a sigh, closing her eyes and covering them with one of her hands. A moment of quiet passed between them as he gave her a minute to recover, but also because he didn't know what to say. A million questions were fighting to the surface of his mind, and he wasn't sure that he could even ask any of them.

"Are you..." he finally started. "I mean, I don't want to be rude... But those pills...?” He glanced at the bottle still in her hand before looking back up at her. “Are you feeling better?"

Marinette chuckled softly, keeping her hand over her eyes. "I'm fine now, but I guess the secret's out."

"You're really pregnant?" Adrien asked dumbly, even though he was certain he already knew the answer, and Marinette nodded to confirm. “Huh…” He slumped down beside her, eyes forward and unfocused, his mouth hanging open slightly. "I guess you can't tell me who the father is?"

"Nope," Marinette replied. "Confidential information." She lifted her hand and gave him an understanding look. "I know you don't like secrets, so consider it a surprise instead."

"Well, then… uh, congratulations!" A wide grin broke out on his face at his genuine happiness for her, even though he felt an odd discomfort. Maybe he was worried, considering what had just happened. _Marinette will make an amazing mother._ "So my father knows?"

"Yes," Marinette said. "I'm actually spending the night here." She continued to explain before he could ask, "They found some black mold at the building I live in, so I tried staying with my parents, but I could smell _everything._ " She spread her hands out with a groan. "And the egg wash that my dad uses... Ugh, it was just making my morning sickness worse."

"And my father offered you a room here?" Adrien asked.

"Nathalie actually suggested it." Marinette shifted as if to stand, and Adrien jumped up before she could to offer her a hand. He helped her back onto the bed, where she settled with a sigh. "It was good timing. I had just been talking with Alya about finding a place, too."

Adrien's face lit up at the mention of Alya. He wanted to know how she was, and in turn, what Nino was up to. Instead, he rubbed his face and dropped to the bed beside her, groaning in frustration. "I just want to ask about everything, but I can't know anything!"

Marinette hummed softly, so he lifted his head. "I can at least tell you that they're doing fine." She smiled as he blinked at her. "Alya already has a job, of course, because who _wouldn't_ want the girl that runs the Ladyblog on their reporting team?" Marinette chuckled. "She took an internship in university, earned enough credits for a degree, and landed a paying job before any of us. It’s not the fanciest, but she’ll be eligible for promotions and great opportunities down the line."

Adrien grinned widely. "What can you tell me about Nino?"

"Nino's still working on his degree, but he lives with her and DJs on the side."

"And you? What about you?" Adrien asked, even though he was certain he knew the answer. How could Marinette not get a job in the fashion industry with her design skills?

"I'm still in school." Marinette frowned and gave a light shrug. "I don't think I'll be able to return with the pregnancy though. It was unexpected, to be honest, but it's not like we didn't want any kids." She giggled and wove her fingers together over her stomach. "Just maybe not this soon."

Adrien frowned, feeling a bit uneasy. She hadn’t given many details, but it didn’t sound like an ideal situation. "What about a job? Don't you work for my father?"

Marinette leaned back on her arms and scrunched up her nose. "That's... a little complicated? He's already offered me a position, but it’s not my first choice." Her eyes flicked to the side. "I'm still exploring my options, but we've decided I'll take things slow until the baby is born."

"But you're doing alright in the meantime?" Adrien asked.

"Like what?" Marinette tilted her head and gave him a quizzical look.

"Like... Your living situation?" He thought about the mold. Old, decrepit buildings had that trouble. He imagined a small room in an ancient, run-down complex. He might not have money concerns, but he was aware that rent costs in Paris were some of the highest in the world. "It's an okay place?"

"Oh!" Marinette laughed, a gentle sound that helped to settle his concern. "Don't worry! It's an old building, but it's well maintained. They just found a bit of trouble in the basement." She gave him a wink. _"You_ actually helped me find it. It’s just that the mold could come up through the vents, and we didn’t want that happening. So while my doting husband was reluctant for me to leave, he's happy that the baby and I aren't in any danger."

Adrien let out a relieved sigh. "I'm glad to hear that. About everything! Especially that we're all still friends."

Marinette giggled softly as she gave him a side glance. "Very good friends."

Adrien smiled at her, and then his growling belly chose that moment to break into the conversation.

Marinette stifled her laughter beneath a hand. "Someone sounds hungry. Do you want me to ask Nathalie if she can bring us anything?"

"Oh! It's alright!" Adrien backed up off the bed, slightly embarrassed by his traitorous stomach. "I'm not supposed to be here anyway, I should probably leave."

"Nonsense!" Marinette yelped. "She knows about you, and we're already here."

Adrien eventually gave in, allowing Marinette a moment to text Nathalie, and it took all of two seconds for her to arrive. While she asked him what he would like, Adrien kept deferring to Marinette, and they finally decided on sandwiches; something light that was easy for Marinette to digest and didn't have a lot of strong smells that would set off her morning sickness.

Marinette convinced him to move out into the garden, where Nathalie found them on a bench when she brought out their food before leaving the two of them to enjoy their meals and fresh air. Though Marinette insisted that he could get whatever he wanted, he'd basically gotten the same thing as her to ensure that she wouldn't have another episode with her nausea.

"You didn't get any camembert?" Plagg whined when he took a whiff of Adrien's meal.

"It would make Marinette sick, so no." Adrien frowned at his kwami and picked up a wedge of mild cheddar, holding it out to him. He'd requested it for Plagg after Marinette had reassured him that only strong, stinky cheese like camembert was a trigger.

In the back of his mind, he felt something familiar stir, as if he were experiencing déjà vu, but he couldn't quite place it.

"Bleck." Plagg stuck out his tongue. "How can I eat something other than camembert?"

"I've seen you eat plenty of other things, Plagg," Marinette pointed out after taking a sip of her tea.

"Like what?" Plagg crossed his paws over his chest.

"Oh, like..." Marinette tapped her chin as she smiled mischievously. "Macarons?"

Plagg gasped and jabbed a paw at her. "You can't prove that!"

Marinette giggled while Adrien concentrated on that déjà vu feeling again, and he quickly realized _why_ it had felt so familiar. His older-self had banned camembert from the apartment, which made sense if Marinette came to visit, as it wouldn't be good for her to get sick.

 _So we're both married,_ Adrien couldn't help but let his thoughts wander while Plagg shouted something beside him, though he wasn't paying much attention to the words. Marinette simply laughed, probably because Plagg had inhaled the cheddar despite all his complaining. _And it was nice of my father to let her stay in my old room when she needed help._

"Are you gonna eat that?"

"Plagg." Adrien's voice was sharp as he turned to his kwami, realizing that he was bothering Marinette about the wedge of cheese on her own plate. She had specifically requested for Nathalie to bring it, along with a small bar of chocolate. "That's Marinette's food. Don't bother her."

"It's fine." Marinette picked it up off her plate and held it out for Plagg. "It sounded good, but these cravings can come and go. Just one of the many wonderful effects of pregnancy." Plagg snatched the cheddar out of Marinette's fingers without so much as a 'thank you' before wolfing it down.

"Do you have enough to eat?" Adrien eyed her plate warily. He couldn't help but notice that her sandwich had been half the size of his when Nathalie brought them out. He thought she might have been saving room for a second course, but Nathalie had yet to return. "You're eating for two, so I don't mind sharing mine."

Marinette laughed at that before quickly apologizing. "Too much food actually makes me nauseous. I eat smaller meals throughout the day to make up for it though." She tapped the bag that she had laid beneath their bench with her foot. "Nathalie also brought me a bunch of pregnancy-safe snacks to help. Don't worry, Adrien, I've got plenty."

Adrien glanced down, staring at the bag, the same one that contained the very helpful PregEase that had settled Marinette's nausea earlier. In his concern over his friend's health, he hadn't noticed at all how familiar it looked.

As a thought jolted to the surface of his mind, he swallowed his next bite of sandwich with difficulty, feeling as if it had suddenly gotten stuck. "Nathalie brought you all of that?"

Marinette hummed in answer, nodding after taking another small bite of her food. "It’s kind of like a morning sickness survival kit. She wanted to make sure I had all the necessities."

His eyes shifted to the bag again, but that didn't change the way it looked. It was still the same pink fabric with floral designs.

"Is the sandwich okay?"

Adrien jumped in his seat, then turned to see Marinette watching him, a slight look of concern on her face. "What? Why?"

"You just... You look so serious right now."

"Oh!" A big grin suddenly spread across his face as he blinked at her before turning to his sandwich. "It's great!" And he took another bite to prove it, not at all to occupy his thoughts as they spiraled out of control, eliciting about ten million emotions at once. But it didn't work, because he could hardly keep his attention on his food with Marinette sitting so close to him.

Her bag sat idly by her foot, filled with supplies to help with her pregnancy symptoms. _The very same bag_ that Nathalie had been bringing to 'someone else' that lived with his future-self.

A ‘someone else’ that was married to Present Adrien and couldn't go home because past-Adrien, whom they didn’t want to reveal any future information to, was staying there.

And his father just happened to let Marinette sleep in his old room because she couldn't stay in her own apartment with her husband.

A loud rumbling shook the ground before he could get much further with those thoughts, not that he needed more to make the connection. It was just taking some time for him to wrap his head around the discovery.

Marinette jumped up from the bench beside him, the phone in her bag vibrating with what was most likely an akuma alert.

"That sounded close." Adrien stood up beside her, following Marinette's gaze to where a pillar of smoke drifted above the rooftops some distance away. A moment later, he called to Plagg, and Chat Noir stood beside her, ready to protect her from any danger.

He had intended to remain with Marinette, but the second he transformed, his baton beeped, and he pulled it out to open it up.

"Bad news guys!" Though she wore the mask of a superheroine, a woman he didn't recognize shouted through the screen from a video call. "There are _two_ akuma out here! Yow!" The communicator went dark before he could process anything.

"Was that... Queen Bee?" Adrien asked as he turned to Marinette, who threw her hands up and slapped her forehead.

"You can receive All-Team Calls," she groaned. "Why not? There's just no keeping anything about your future hidden, is there?"

Adrien couldn't help his wince. She didn't realize how right she was.

The ground shook again as something exploded. It sounded as if the fight was moving closer. Adrien stepped in front of Marinette and grabbed her arm, gently tugging her forward. "Come on! You should get inside." She began moving along with him.

His baton beeped again, but he ignored it. No point in answering if the call wasn't meant for him. Marinette's eyes flicked to his weapon and she stopped, jerking him to a halt. "You should go."

"What?" Adrien yelped and whirled around to face her. "I can't just leave you here!"

"Two akuma at once isn't a normal occurrence," Marinette explained. "Which means that Foresight is most likely the second culprit."

"Oh." His tail lashed behind him. Of course, she made sense, but he still didn't want to go—not with what he had just discovered. He couldn’t leave Marinette, his pregnant friend— _his future wife—_ without any protection during an akuma attack.

"I'll be alright," Marinette assured him. "I'll stay safe in the mansion."

“Marinette, I…” She was right, but his feet refused to move. What if this was what Alix was hinting at before? Maybe he was supposed to be here to help her.

“Ladybug will be there,” Marinette said confidently as she knelt down in front of him and laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. “And she needs _her_ Chat Noir with her.”

Adrien’s heart jolted from surprise, before his expression softened into a gentle smile. Of course Marinette knew how important his partner was to him, regardless of what their relationship was. His ears lowered from a slight twinge of guilt that crept through the warmth as he shifted his feet slowly to back away. 

"Get Nathalie to activate the security system," Adrien commanded. He took a step backward, but he didn’t leave, keeping his gaze fixed on Marinette.

She nodded, turning to go, but she hadn’t moved far before he called out, “Marinette!” He paused as she faced him again, his hand reaching toward her and hovering hesitantly in the air as whatever words he had planned to say left him.

Too many thoughts swarmed his mind to focus on just a single one, still reeling slightly from the discovery that he had made. It gave way to something warring within him, he just couldn’t completely understand _what._

“Please, be careful…” he eventually whispered.

“I will, cha—” Marinette’s warm smile strangely faltered, then she bit at her bottom lip, her eyes widening slightly in surprise, almost looking panicked. “Chat. Not—Yes. Chat Noir. I promise.” She giggled nervously. “I’ll be safe inside.”

He stood there, rooted to the spot, his heart beating faster than it ever had when he was jumping around the city and fighting an akuma. The weight didn’t lift from him until she turned to smile back one last time. Then the doors shut tight behind her, and Marinette was safely inside.

He finally turned away. There was no more reason for him to dwell.

There was an akuma he needed to find.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your concern! I'm sorry if I scared anyone with my last note. The CVS symptoms are completely gone. Turns out it was due to my nearsightedness and not wearing my glasses(in fifteen years since I found out I have 20/40 vision, never have I needed glasses while on the computer!). It was most likely due to the increase in my computer time, since work was closed. I was just so excited to have so much time to write this story, that it was nearly the only thing I did for a while there. xD All good now!
> 
> And a HUGE thank you to [That_Crazy_Miraculer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_Crazy_Miraculer/pseuds/That_Crazy_Miraculer) here on AO3 for proofreading! She will be helping me from here on out, and has already given me some excellent ideas to make this story top-notch!


	11. Make Like a Tree

“Plagg!” Marinette shouted once she shut the heavy doors behind her.

"Nuh-uh!” Plagg zipped out of his hiding spot and crossed his arms. “You’re not joining the fight!"

"Plagg, that’s—no! I’m not doing that!” she huffed and shot him an exasperated look. “I just need to tell my _husband_ what past-Adrien found out."

"Can't you text for that?" Plagg whined. He then let out a sharp yowl when the mansion rumbled at the sound of a far-off explosion.

“If he isn’t already transformed,” Marinette mumbled, pulling out her phone anyway to give it a try. She sent Adrien a quick text as she started up the stairs in the foyer, not feeling very confident he would be able to reply.

While she yearned to call up her own transformation and join him, she knew she shouldn't, not if she wanted him to keep his head in the fight. There was no way Adrien would be able to concentrate on the akuma if he was worrying about her the whole time.

"Marinette!" Nathalie’s voice rose above the wail of sirens from the city, and Marinette looked up to find her at the top of the stairs. They met on the first landing, and Nathalie adjusted her glasses as she quickly explained, "There are reports of multiple akuma attacks and..." Her expression narrowed with what appeared to be disgust. "A sentimonster as well."

"What?" Marinette yelped in surprise while Nathalie grabbed her wrist to tug her gently up the stairs, only for her to quickly release her and head down toward the entrance where one of the security panels was hidden in the wall.

"Return to Adrien’s room,” Nathalie commanded. “Once I activate the security system, this mansion will be the safest place in Paris."

“I believe your security has a fatal flaw.”

Marinette froze at the sound of the steely voice, and her skin prickled with a cold chill as she lifted her gaze. The intruder’s dark form nearly disappeared in the shadows of the corridor, his face partially hidden behind the elegant fan he held. But she wasn’t fooled by his transformation or the ornate mask over his eyes—she already knew who he was. When Gabriel had given the miraculous to Adrien to return to Marinette, there was only one person who had been capable of stealing them from him.

“It’s useless when your enemy is already inside,” he finished, snapping the fan blades shut to reveal an amused smirk.

“Félix,” Nathalie hissed.

Félix held up a finger and slowly wagged it from side to side. “Ah-ah. We’ve talked about this, Nathalie. It’s ‘Paon,’ unless you want me to inform the police of the mastermind behind Hawk Moth’s activities?” His eyes narrowed into slits. “Family or not, if I go down, so do the both of you.”

“What do you want?” Marinette snapped, already impatient. She had little tolerance for his condescending attitude and the games Félix constantly played with them.

“Marinette,” Félix tsked as he took his time moving deliberately down the stairs toward her. She instinctively took a step back with each of his, yelping when she accidentally missed the landing at one point. “I only heard about the good news and just wanted to give you my congratulations in person.” He smiled at her, mockingly. “Though… It is unfortunate that Ladybug’s miraculous cure didn’t help with your trip to the hospital yesterday.”

“What do you mean?” Marinette felt an uneasy dread wash over her. Obviously, he had found out about her pregnancy from the news outlets, but how did he know about her hospital visit? Panicked as he was, Adrien had at least been careful to tell the doctors not to spread the news, and there was doctor-patient confidentiality to boot. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“It means that Farfalla simply wants to take advantage of this opportunity,” he answered before suddenly launching himself over the banister. As he reached out for her, she managed to slip back, grabbing onto the railing and quickly vaulting to the main floor, but he met her in an instant. With his superpowered strength, he easily landed at the bottom of the stairs before her.

Nathalie’s foot came up out of nowhere, aimed at his head, but Félix sidestepped, quickly dancing out of her range.

“It’s laughable,” Félix said as he swung his fan in an arc. While Nathalie managed to avoid him, Marinette lost her footing and stumbled backwards. “That you think you are a match for someone with a miraculous.”

He twisted toward Marinette as she tried to recover, and Nathalie jumped in front of the blow meant for Marinette. Félix’s heavy kick sent her into the stairway, where she slammed into the steps and slumped against them.

"Nathalie!" Marinette shouted before balling her fists and shuffling her feet into a fighting stance. Félix smirked at her from behind his fan.

"Really? Attempting to be a hero?” he said, his tone clearly mocking her.

“Just try it,” Marinette growled, raising her arms in front of her defensively, daring him to come at her.

She’d been so confident that she was ready for what he might throw at her, but when Félix darted forward, Marinette swung one of her fists, only for him to catch it and evade her follow through with the other. A low chuckle rumbled in his throat. "You're in way over your head, Marinette _._ "

Ignoring his taunt, she tried to twist her hand out of his grasp, but he yanked on her arm and pulled her off balance. When Marinette yelped and attempted to right herself, he caught her waist and squeezed tightly, trapping her in his embrace. She bristled at the uncomfortably close contact.

"Don’t even think about using my baby as leverage in one of your schemes!" she spat at him.

"You're being unnecessarily cold.” He clicked his tongue softly as his voice dripped with false concern. “With a sentimonster in the area, I thought you might look forward to the protection of a hero."

"That monster is _your_ creation!" Marinette barked, flailing her limbs and kicking wildly to try and loosen his hold.

"Technicalities." Félix shrugged before lifting her off her feet to swing her over his shoulder.

 _"Félix!"_ Marinette shrieked, her fingers digging into the material of his dark suit as the decorative tail feathers of his costume fanned out in her view of the floor. She tried to twist around and lift herself, his shoulder digging uncomfortably into her stomach, but he still had one arm around her waist, while the other held her knees. The proximity of his hand against her thigh made her insides squirm. “Put me down!”

“Forgive me, Marinette, but I’ll have to deny your request. Farfalla has stressed to me how _vital_ an asset you are for her latest plans,” Félix explained with a dark chuckle. “And of course, you know me,” he added. “I never miss an opportunity to piss off Adrien.”

“Well, fat chance!" She pulled her arm up and slammed her elbow into the back of his head. His grip immediately loosened, and while she had him momentarily stunned, Marinette managed to wrench her body out of his grasp. Before he could catch her again, she flipped over his shoulder. Félix recovered quickly and spun around, but he only wound up meeting her fist as she rocked forward to punch him square in the jaw. "I'm no damsel!"

Stumbling back into the middle of the foyer, Félix sagged slightly, but kept on his feet as he gingerly rubbed his chin. “Huh,” he grunted. “That _actually_ stung a little.”

Marinette ground her teeth with a growl, then sprinted forward, swinging back her arm as if she were preparing to strike again. Instead, she _wanted_ him to dodge, maybe even counter in some way, and when he moved to avoid her attack, she would slip past him and run to Nathalie, who appeared to be waking from her daze at the bottom of the stairs.

But he surprised her by jumping directly in front of her fist, catching her wrist before she could dip past. Digging his fingers into her skin, Félix tugged her around, and Marinette cried out when he twisted her arm painfully behind her back.

“Do I really need to bring the sentimonster into this, Marinette?” his voice hissed in her ear as he forced her closer.

“Marinette, the door!” Nathatlie’s sharp yell rang out, right before her leg swung into view. Félix spat out a garbled curse as Nathalie's kick hit it's mark and smashed his head into the heavy wooden doors, and his grip on Marinette tore free.

She didn't waste a single second, leaping to the entrance and immediately yanking on one of the handles. Before he could regain his bearings, Nathalie tackled Félix and tossed him out the open doorway, then immediately spun around and practically punched the nearby controls to hit one of the switches inside.

Marinette hadn’t even shut the doors completely when the metal plates started to slide into place, sealing the mansion behind a layer of impenetrable security. She didn't relax until the last panel slammed shut, and she all but collapsed against the floor as the quiet fell over them.

"Plagg," Marinette panted weakly. She was only faintly aware of his dark shape floating above her after flying out of his hiding spot. "Claws out."

"Marinette?" Nathalie stepped closer and kneeled beside her, adjusting the cracked glasses against the bridge of her nose as her gaze swept over Marinette’s body, hesitating only for a moment over her stomach. "Are you hurt?"

"A little bruised, but it’s mostly fatigue," Marinette mumbled while grabbing her baton from its holster and popping it open. She immediately sent a call to Adrien's yo-yo. Unsurprisingly, he was already transformed, but he didn't look happy when his masked face appeared on her weapon’s screen.

"Why are you transformed _this_ time?" His stern tone faltered about halfway through his words, and she watched his expression quickly morph from anger to concern as his eyes darted over her.

"It wasn’t by choice," she huffed. "Félix showed up at the mansion."

"Did you activate the security system?" he asked, expression contorted with worry. "Even though there are two akuma, we have more than enough heroes out here—"

Adrien's voice was drowned out by the heavy clang of something slamming against the mansion's defenses, the floor below her vibrating slightly from the impact.

Nathatlie cursed and placed her hand over Marinette's to shift the camera so that Adrien could see her as well. "Paon is using a sentimonster to attack the mansion. Before we got the security system up, he tried to abduct Marinette." At her words, Adrien's expression narrowed in fury. "The defenses are in place, but I don’t believe they will hold him off for long."

"We’ll be there shortly," Adrien stated before the call cut out.

"Claws in," Marinette sighed while Plagg reappeared in the green flash of light, spinning around in the air above her head.

"What are you doing!?" Plagg yelped, throwing his arms up. "You’ll be safer if you’re transformed!"

"There is no way in or out of the mansion right now,” Nathalie pointed out while Marinette gently rubbed her forehead. She was completely content with letting her explain, since Nathatlie had obviously caught on to her train of thought. “If the sentimonster manages to break through the security wall, then Félix will be suspicious when he finds Lady Noire, but no Marinette.”

"Well, we should at least go further in," Plagg grumbled. “Does your boss still have that evil lair beneath his office?”

Nathalie stood and brushed off her pants, then bent down to offer Marinette a hand. "Yes. The chamber is still intact, but Félix knows about it. Still…” Nathatlie hummed softly as she helped to pull Marinette to her feet. “We can use it as an extra barrier between us and slow him down." Her lips pulled into a thin frown, pausing to make sure Marinette could walk before quickly stepping toward Gabriel’s office. “It’s a good thing you were here and not at your parents’ today.”

Marinette stopped in the middle of the foyer at that, the low drumming of her pulse echoing in her ears. “It was lucky…” Her gaze narrowed as it darted back toward the main doors. “But if he was looking for me specifically, how did he get here so quickly?” She saw Nathalie’s expression widen. “And how did he know I was here?”

“Foresight!” Plagg shouted.

“Is that the akuma from the past?” Nathalie asked. “So Farfalla is using her ability to look into the future?”

Marinette nodded to agree, but before they could move again, the entire mansion shuddered with a loud rumble. The shriek of twisting metal split the air, and rubble rained down from the ceiling in a shower of dust.

“Gabriel’s office! Now!” Nathalie shouted, but she didn’t have to tell Marinette twice as sunlight poured in through the new hole that had appeared in the roof. Despite her exhausted body, she darted after Nathalie, attempting to follow her into the sanctity of Gabriel Agreste’s not-so-secret lair.

She didn’t make it very far before Félix dropped down in front of her, landing in a crouch against the floor and rising to completely block her way. He lifted his hand and twitched his wrist, flipping his fan open with a grim frown. "Do you really think you can escape me?"

Nathalie’s heels clicked against the marble, and Félix spun around just in time to block her kick with his weapon. Right as her foot connected, he tossed his arm out, sending her tumbling backward to slam into the door of the open office. "Nathalie, you’re just going to get yourself hurt trying to help her, or worse. Why not make this simple and let me take her?"

"Not a chance," Nathalie hissed with such venom in her tone that it surprised Marinette.

"Suit yourself." Félix shrugged and snapped his fan closed, then pointed it at Marinette, who had been attempting to slink away while Nathalie had him distracted. "Arbor, capture Marinette. I don't care how you deal with anyone that tries to stop you."

The walls and foundation of the mansion crumbled and cracked as, what looked like, a gigantic arm-shaped tree limb shoved its way inside the hole at the roof, shaking the building and causing more debris to rain down on them. Marinette sprinted toward the entrance doors and hit one of the security release buttons as the spindly claws made up of leaves and twigs slowly moved over the floor, seemingly hesitant, as if it didn’t know where she was.

“Félix, call it off!” Marinette heard Nathalie shout. The sentimonster wasn’t moving very quickly, but the shadow of it’s arm slid over her while it crept closer, and the steel panel blocking the door seemed to be grinding open at an agonizing pace.

“It’s Paon!” Félix shouted back, his voice rising in anger. “You would do well to remember that! And I wouldn’t have to resort to this if you would stop interfering!”

Marinette let out a surprised yelp when something brushed up against her back, and she spun around to press herself flat against the wall to see the sentimonster’s hand hovering right in front of her.

“Arbor! There! Capture her!” Félix shouted.

Marinette jumped to the side and threw her body to the floor right as the sentimonster’s hand slammed into the wall, sending up an explosion of dust and rubble as it nearly collapsed beneath its strength.

“Are you trying to kill me!?” Marinette screamed, peeking back up at the damage the sentimonster had caused.

She immediately regretted her words, because the sentimonster’s claw-like fingers spread open and shot straight toward her. Marinette tucked to roll through the opening of the damaged doorway, but surprisingly, the sentimonster’s limb suddenly retreated when its beastly roar pierced the air outside the mansion.

"What are you—!" Félix growled, whipping back around to the opening right as an excited voice whooped from outside.

“Yow! Looks like this sentimonster’s bark is worse than it’s bite!”

"Chat Noir!" Marinette cried, pushing her way through what was left of the front doors. She slipped out into the courtyard to stare up at the sentimonster that loomed over the yard, its spindly limbs swatting the air as it tried to catch a small black shape darting over its leafy exterior.

“What is _he_ doing here!?”

Marinette turned to see Félix already following after her, though he had frozen on the stairs to glare at his sentimonster—or more specifically, Adrien, as he annoyed the gigantic beast with his baton.

“What’s wrong ‘Paon?’” Marinette couldn’t help the snide remark at seeing his disgruntled expression. Things were obviously not going his way, and it was too tempting to pass up an opportunity to disrupt his normally poised demeanor. “Didn’t have the _foresight_ for a better plan?”

Félix whirled around to face her, his furious expression making her rethink her decision to rile him up—but only a little. He didn’t say a word as he snapped his fan in her direction, which did little more than to create a gentle gust that didn’t even reach her.

As she puzzled over that, a shadow blotted out the sunlight, and Marinette jerked her head back to see the sentimonster reaching for her. _When did it move so quickly!?_

Marinette scrambled to move, but the monster’s claw fell around her like a cage dragging over the pavement. She screamed as it closed, scraping up a bit of the walkway in the process. As cobblestones fell away and tumbled to the ruined yard, the spindly branches that made up the monster’s hand trapped her, pinning her arms even as she tried to twist free from its grasp.

"Marinette!" She heard Adrien’s shout shortly before he landed against the sentimonster’s forearm, his claws scrabbling over the bark as he ran on all fours toward her.

He didn't get very far when Félix suddenly slammed down in front of him, brandishing his weapon as he pointed it at Adrien. _"How_ are you here!?" Félix growled.

"May… ura?" Adrien froze, his mouth gaping open in a stunned expression.

"Chat Noir!" Marinette yelled to snap him out of it while Félix lunged. "Don't zone out, he has the peacock miraculous!"

Adrien ducked beneath Félix’s swing and flipped onto the sentimonster’s shoulder as the large beast turned away from the mansion, its heavy footfalls shaking the nearby buildings with every step.

"I can't get these off!" Plagg hissed from somewhere in the tangle of branches as she twisted toward his voice.

"It's alright," she whispered back to him, trying to move her hands protectively over her stomach. The branches and vines within the monster’s grip appeared to be tangled around her limbs, and something else poked uncomfortably close to her abdomen. "I'm fine. The baby's fine,” her voice wavered quietly as she tried to reassure herself. “We'll be fine."

"Marinette!" At Adrien's shout, she craned her head around to watch as he sprinted back along the sentimonster’s arm, falling into a crouch above her with a panicked look. Behind him, Alya had Félix distracted with an array of Rena’s illusions flitting through the air.

With a nervous glance at the clawed branches, Adrien worked his baton into a small space between her and the sentimonster’s appendage, and wedged it against the rough bark. As he extended it, the grip squeezing her loosened, and she eventually found that she could easily pull her arms free.

Adrien grabbed a hold of her wrists and helped to gently tug her up, but something jerked her back, and Marinette glanced down to see a length of vine wrapped around her stomach. Adrien cursed and eyed his claws with a wary expression. "Uh, is it alright...?"

"Cataclysm here." She pointed to a section of the vine that wasn't touching her, but still connected to the one that stubbornly held her.

Adrien called out for his attack through grit teeth, his expression stiff with concentration and far from anything but calm. He reached forward, claws trembling slightly as he carefully worked them toward the tether, ensuring that the destructive power was kept well away from the baby that she was carrying.

Lost in his concentration, Adrien didn’t notice Félix swing in from behind, and Marinette couldn’t warn him in time to avoid his cousin’s kick to the back. As Adrien tumbled into her, he quickly flung his arm around so that his Cataclysm was well away from making any contact with Marinette. Unfortunately, his claws hit his own baton, and as the metal of his weapon corroded, the leaves of the sentimonster’s spindly claws shivered around them.

Its grip came crashing back against her, and Marinette let out a strangled gasp as it crushed the breath from her lungs. But the suffocating pressure that squeezed her body was nothing compared to the sharp ache that shot through her stomach.

Marinette’s knuckles turned white as she clenched at the rough bark, all thoughts going to that barely formed baby tucked protectively in her abdomen. She prayed that it was only her own pain that she was feeling and not her unborn child's.

Adrien was already gone, dragged back into a fight against Félix. Even with his sensitive hearing, he probably couldn't pick up her soft, strained breaths as she tried to call out, all the while her sight faded behind a patchwork of dark blotches.

Spots.

She almost giggled at the thought of seeing spots.

Then a familiar yo-yo zipped into view, and she believed she was seeing double as the pair of miraculous weapons wrenched the sentimonster’s branches apart, its grip instantly releasing her.

Strong arms caught her before she could fall, and for a brief moment she thought the splotches were taking over her vision before she realized it was only her past-self crouched on the tree limbs before her, helping her husband to untangle the remainder of the vines. Soon enough, she was free, and _her_ Adrien's deep voice was there in her ear, his arms hugging her as he whispered gentle reassurances that she was safe.

 _Not me,_ Marinette tried to say, but the air in her lungs had completely left her. _It’s not me. Please, the baby! Please!_

Marinette's ragged breath made it impossible to form the words, to take in the necessary oxygen—anything to let them know that she was fine. But her voice rasped out formlessly as Adrien carried her from the fight. He eventually set her down on a rooftop far away from the mess happening in front of the Agreste mansion, her back resting against the wall of a chimney.

Adrien must have noticed her struggle, because his voice was full of concern when he leaned over her. "What's wrong?" he asked. His hand found hers and squeezed it. "Are you hurt?"

Taking a breath felt like a fight on its own. It was as if her lungs had turned into deflated balloons, stuck together and unable to expand. When words failed her, she finally thought to communicate by moving her free hand over her belly and clutching at her wrinkled shirt, flicking her eyes down. His face turned pale behind the mask as he quickly understood the message.

"I'm taking her to the hospital," Adrien announced as he moved to cradle Marinette in his arms, but she pushed his hands away and shook her head.

"She’s telling you to stay." Her younger-self appeared over his shoulder, obviously suited up from the battle, and placed a hand against his back. "Chat Noir and Rena Rouge are holding off the sentimonster, but we need to find the feather and purify it. Not to mention there are still two akuma out there!"

"I know that—I just—I have to—" His voice cut out when Marinette squeezed his hand.

She pointed toward the sentimonster and managed to get out a raspy, "Mi… ra... culous..."

Adrien nodded slowly. "Okay." He grasped both her hands in his and brought them up to lay a lingering kiss against her fingers before setting them in her lap and stepping back. "Stay with her, please?" he asked her younger-self.

"I will," Ladybug answered, her eyes flicking over to Marinette with a curious glance.

With that, Adrien nodded and swung out his yo-yo, leaping away to rejoin the battle.

Ladybug knelt down next to her and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?" Her hands hovered over Marinette's midsection, where her own were tightly clenched in her rumpled shirt. "I don't see any blood."

"It's internal," Plagg popped up from behind her shoulder. "The sentimonster probably crushed something when it grabbed her." His voice sounded strained, possibly agitated—furious, or just a combination of everything.

Marinette couldn’t help the small whimper that escaped at his words. It was a problem caused by the miraculous, so the lucky charm would fix everything… right?

"Looks that way," her younger-self responded to Plagg before her eyes flicked back to the battle. Though Marinette’s thoughts were clouded with anxiety and pain, she recognized that calculated look on her face. “He seems a little distracted.”

“No surprise,” Plagg said. “He can’t concentrate when he knows his partner is hurt.”

“Partner?” Ladybug stiffened before relaxing and nodding slowly. “Right, it’s hard to remember that he knows who we are. It’s just so… surreal.”

“He’s worried,” Marinette finally managed to rasp out. Her rough voice could barely go above a whisper, but at least she’d managed to take a full breath again. That, unfortunately, did not help with the sharp ache growing in her abdomen.

“Uh huh,” her younger-self mumbled in agreement, but from the brief reply, Marinette didn’t think she was entirely convinced Adrien’s concern wasn’t something more.

Marinette sighed, but that simple action sent up a twinge of pain through her, and she clenched her teeth, hissing with a sharp intake of breath.

Ladybug reached out to her, but her fingers hovered without touching. "If you transform, would the suit help with your injury?" she asked.

Marinette was grateful when Plagg answered for her with a shake of his head. "The suit can only protect what isn't damaged, not heal what's already been done. We'll just have to wait for Mister Bug to use his lucky charm. It should fix whatever's wrong." Plagg sent her a concerned look. “I-it will fix things, okay, Marinette?”

Plagg appeared to be just as worried as her. It was technically miraculous related, created by the sentimonster, but was there a limit? Would there be complications like the previous day? Or had that simply been a fluke caused by her own negligence?

She felt the tears fall from her eyes before she even realized they had formed, and there was nothing she could do to stop them or try to calm herself.

"Woah! Hold on!" Ladybug’s hand squeezed her arm, looking just as awkward as she felt at being comforted by herself. "If our Chat Noirs are anything alike, then I know we can count on him, so hold out until that time, alright?" She smiled reassuringly.

A loud commotion rose up from the mansion behind them, and Ladybug jolted to turn and watch. Marinette could just barely see over the lip of the roof, but she noticed a few extra heroes had joined the battle, with Pegasus and Carapace lending their strength now. The greatly outnumbered sentimonster had little chance against an entire team, and in no time at all, the creature was promptly overwhelmed.

Someone must have figured out the amok’s location, because the sentimonster’s echoing roar cut out as it dissolved into billowing darkness. Adrien’s voice rose up in a cry for his ‘Miraculous Mister Bug’ as he tossed his lucky charm into the air, summoning the storm of healing ladybugs to swarm the city.

The cloud of magical insects appeared to gun straight for her, because not even a second had passed when they converged on Marinette with a glowing warmth. Her pain all but disappeared, and Marinette had to cover her eyes as more tears streamed down her cheeks. She couldn't stop them. The relief of knowing and feeling that her baby was safe again was too much.

There were a few soft thumps against the roof as the other heroes joined them.

"Marinette?" Her husband’s gloved hand laid atop one of her own. "Did the miraculous help?"

Marinette nodded, but she didn’t pull her hands away. "I'm okay," she sobbed softly.

"I'll take her to the hospital." Adrien pushed his arms beneath her and gently scooped her up to cradle against his chest. "Just to... uh... make sure. Post-akuma check-up," he said for the benefit of her past-self.

"Is the baby alright?"

Marinette sucked in a breath and peeked through her fingers just in time to see past-Adrien slap his claws over his mouth.

"Baby?" Ladybug whispered as her eyes grew wide. "W-wait... What!?"

"How did you...!?" Her husband's gaze switched between their younger-selves and Marinette before landing on past-Adrien with an angry glare. "Wait, did you leave the apartment!?"

"Alright, everyone stop!" Alya yelled out before pointing at Ladybug. "You! With me. We're going home." She then turned to past-Adrien. "You! Back to the apartment! And try not to _look_ at anything!"

"But I want to go!" he cried back. "I already know everything!"

A sudden hush fell over them as his words took a moment to sink in. Their stunned silence was only broken when Alya slapped her forehead.

"Everything?" Adrien looked down at Marinette, meeting her wide gaze with his confused one. She was just as shocked as he to hear that revelation.

"W-when you say everything...?" Marinette asked, her brow furrowed as she turned to stare at past-Adrien.

"Uhh..." His eyes flicked to Ladybug, and Marinette’s heart stuttered before he started to explain. "I don't know Ladybug's identity." His eyebrows knit together, and he smiled apologetically with a shrug. "But I... accidentally figured out who the father is."

The soft beep of his ring pulled Marinette out of her daze. Her eyes flicked over it, seeing enough to notice that it was down to the last paw pad.

"He should come," Marinette said quickly, turning back to her husband and surprising him with her words. "He's about to change back anyway." Her gaze glanced over to her younger-self, who was looking between her and past-Adrien in complete shock. It was impossible not to see the dots connecting in her thoughts.

Marinette silently apologized to Alya, confident that her friend would be able to handle _that_ situation on her own.

"Right... Okay,” her husband sighed. “Pegasus?" The hero standing off to the side perked up at his name. "Can you bring us close to the hospital?"

"Of course," Max answered before quickly lifting his arm and shouting, "Journey!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It probably would have made for some excellent drama, but it took all of my willpower not to add in a Félix—Marinette—Adrien triangle of some sort. I dunno why I love the trope where the bad-guy takes interest in our heroine(even if she's already in a relationship), but it's just—GAH—when it happens, even if it is cliché. xD Ah well, I did kind of throw in a little bit of tension, but it's not like Félix is enamored with her. I figure he just likes rubbing everyone the wrong way(especially Adrien).
> 
> I also wrote up a rough draft of an unrelated one-shot with a Félix—Marinette—Adrien dramatic triangle anyway, so I've scratched that itch. >D Dunno when I'll edit and post it, but if interested, keep an eye out!


	12. Out of the Bag

When Adrien followed the older heroes through Pegasus’ portal, he instantly found himself transported across Paris, dropped into a narrow, secluded passageway where grey-brick buildings rose above them in the quiet. The only din of noise came from the street at the end of the alley, which opened to a large block that housed one of the city’s esteemed hospitals, its green tinted glass panes sparkling brilliantly in the sunlight.

There was no one else around, luckily, as his ring gave one final beep, and his transformation dropped right there in the shade. Plagg swirled up in a flash of light, and Adrien cupped his hands to catch his exhausted kwami.

“Please tell me someone has Camembert?” Plagg whined.

“I am afraid not,” Pegasus—or Max? Probably Max—answered, closing the portal behind him. “Camembert has a potent odor that sets off Marinette’s nausea.”

“Sorry, Plagg.” Present Adrien turned to give the past version of his kwami an apologetic smile. “You may have to hold out for a bit. We haven’t needed to recharge our kwami for a few years, so none of us carry snacks around anymore.”

Plagg groaned and flopped back onto Adrien’s palms while his future self transformed in a glow that briefly lit up the shadows. Tikki appeared in the trail of pink light and quickly darted back down to hover over Marinette with a look of concern.

"We’ll go on ahead and let you know when you can follow," his future self directed to Max before tilting his head at Adrien, wearing a tight expression that he couldn’t decipher. "While you wait, gauge just how much past-me has found out."

Max simply nodded in answer.

Still held in present Adrien’s arms, Marinette shifted slightly, as if she expected him to put her down, but then she suddenly squeaked when he bounced her gently to get a firmer grip around her.

“Adrien!” Marinette huffed out. “I can walk.”

"Nope.” Present Adrien shook his head. “I’m carrying you in whether you want me to or not.” His expression then morphed into a teasing smirk. “It worked so well in getting the doctor’s attention last time.”

Letting out a long, drawn-out groan, Marinette buried her face into his shirt. From his angle, Adrien could see her ears turn a slight shade of red as she mumbled, “Not again…”

While his older self carried Marinette out of the alley, Adrien stood stiffly, following them both with wide eyes. It was definitely an unusual experience to see how he interacted with Marinette, knowing what he knew now.

"So," Max started, clearing his throat to draw Adrien’s attention. "How much have you figured out?"

"Uh..." Adrien squirmed slightly beneath Max’s scrutinizing gaze, even if it was mostly hidden behind his glasses. At least… He was pretty certain Pegasus was still Max. If so, then his short friend must have hit a growth spurt at some point. Just like with Marinette, he found himself looking up to make eye contact. "That Marinette and... Well… She and future-me are married and there isn’t any mold because they were just keeping everything a secret and... umm—oh! They’re expecting a baby and she's Multimouse again," he finished with an intake of breath, having let everything out in one go.

Max chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. "Fairly accurate, in some ways."

"Is Marinette going to be alright?" Adrien asked quickly, the anxiety practically eating at him. It was all so surreal, yes, but it was still natural for him to be worried about his friend—his _best_ friend, and the amazing girl that had somehow become his wife.

He wasn't going to dwell on the fact that he had no future with Ladybug—apart from swapping miraculous and continuing to be her platonic partner. There was no question in his mind that he would ever abandon her to fight Hawk Moth alone, regardless of what kind of relationship they had between them.

At least they still appeared to hold the same amount of trust—if not more—considering their identities were no longer a secret with one another. Ladybug was even willing to rely on his future self to take care of things while she rested from… whatever was going on with her. He hoped that whatever ailment she suffered from wasn’t too serious.

“She appears to be unhurt,” Max continued, dragging Adrien out of his heavy thoughts. “And if there is anything wrong that we can’t see, the doctors will be able to help. But back to our questioning. How exactly did you figure all of this out?"

"Oh, well, you see..." And Adrien went into his explanation, starting from when he left the apartment, all the way up until the moment he had noticed the bag. "It was the same one Nathalie had with her when she ran into me, and I put it all together."

Max nodded with understanding. "I see how you came to that conclusion then. Marinette couldn't have known you had seen the bag before, so it was unfailable evidence." He then paused when his glasses beeped, and he pressed two fingers to the side of the dark shades. Adrien noticed a small array of text flash through them, too fast and small for him to read. "Hmm, that was quick. Looks like Adrien and Marinette are already in a room."

"Does that mean she’s hurt?" Adrien blurted. The anxious gnawing in his stomach wasn’t going away. If he didn’t find out soon, he might end up making himself sick.

Max chuckled. "I’m sure Adrien’s stunt would have prompted them into action, but I believe they already had a routine examination scheduled anyway. As far as Marinette’s current status goes, we can see for ourselves." And at that, he waved his arm out to the side, pulling open another portal on the brick wall of one of the buildings.

With Max following close behind, Adrien practically jumped through the opening and stumbled into the middle of a pristine hospital room. Polished wood paneling made up the floor beneath him, with warm, tan walls sparsely decorated by relaxing photos of scenic hillsides and flowery fields. There was a couch and some chairs around a fairly large table over by the full-glass windows, and since there was only one bed set against the wall and no track on the ceiling for a privacy curtain, he guessed it was a private room.

A low murmur of strained voices reached him, and though they weren’t being very loud, the tone of their words gave Adrien the impression that he had walked into the tail-end of some kind of argument.

“—too far back.” Marinette’s arms stretched out in front of her, hands swiping through the air as she tried to grab something from Adrien’s older self. He held what looked like a small remote out of her reach, while his other hand pressed her shoulder into a small mound of pillows at her back. “I’m going to fall asleep if the bed is reclined this much, Adrien.”

“If you need to sleep, then you should sleep,” present Adrien insisted, a firm frown setting his mouth in a straight line. “Even if you feel okay now, you still shouldn’t push yourself too hard.”

Marinette glared back with just as much stubbornness. “And how am I supposed to be a part of the conversation if I’m asleep?”

“Ugh… You two…” Tikki flitted back and forth above their heads before she appeared to notice Adrien and Max’s entrance, the portal swirling shut behind them. She flew across the room and stopped to hover above Plagg’s limp body, who was still lying in Adrien’s cupped hands. “There’s cheese on the table that Plagg can use to recharge.”

Plagg’s head shot up, his wide eyes flicking around. “Cheese?”

Without waiting for a response, his kwami shot toward the window, immediately disappearing inside of a small basket set out on the table. The cheese in question obviously wasn’t Camembert, but that didn’t appear to dissuade Plagg’s eagerness.

Tikki rolled her eyes before focusing on Adrien with a smile and a quick shrug. She then returned to hover above the hospital bed where Marinette sat. Whatever outcome of her and his older self’s disagreement, both of their attentions were on him as he scrambled over.

Adrien grabbed hold of the bed’s railing and quickly blurted out, “Are you okay?”

“She’s okay, I promise,” present Adrien chuckled in answer before Marinette could respond, giving him a knowing smile. "I had a feeling you would want to see her for yourself, considering what you found out today." An unusual gleam suddenly appeared in his eyes before he playfully announced, "Guess the cat's out of the bag."

Marinette dropped her head into her hands and groaned from exasperation. "Adrien, _please_. How many times have you used that?"

"Approximately two-hundred and thirty-two times since his identity was revealed," Max answered, stepping up to stand just behind Adrien. "And those are only the instances when I have been around to tally it."

"Huh..." Present Adrien blinked. "Maybe I do use that one too much."

 _"’Maybe?’"_ Marinette shot him a stern look, and when she folded her arms, Adrien noticed her holding the remote she had been fighting to possess. "Even if you only said it once a day, that's every day for _half a year."_

“Then I won’t say it again,” his older self quickly promised, eyes flitting over her as if in assessment. “And don’t forget what the nurse said about your blood pressure.” His gaze narrowed when she seemed to ignore him and started fiddling with the remote. The top half of the bed started to rise until it reached more of a sitting position, and Marinette sighed while flopping against the pillows. “I still think you should be resting.”

“I agree with your husband,” Max said, and Adrien felt his heart stutter at that. He was probably just trying to differentiate between Adrien’s two selves being in the same room, but it was still unusual hearing it out loud. “While it’s quite obvious what the cause of your stress was, you should be taking extra precaution. The miraculous cure can fix damage from battle directly, but it doesn’t appear to prevent any enduring complications considering what has happened before.”

“What’s that even mean?” Plagg floated lazily over Max’s shoulder, his voice slightly garbled from the wedge of cheese he was chewing on.

“It means that Marinette should be more careful!” Tikki zipped up in front of Plagg and folded her arms. “It’s true that Ladybug’s power can fix anything caused by the miraculous, but the strain from lasting effects might still harm the baby!” she exclaimed, her expression tight with obvious concern.

“I didn’t mean to make you worry, Tikki.” Marinette’s eyebrows scrunched together. “But what I have to say right now is important, so I think you’ll want to hear it sooner, rather than later.”

“Fine,” Tikki sighed, tilting her head against her paw with a half-lidded expression. “But only because I know you won’t rest until you tell us.”

Marinette smiled apologetically before turning to Max. “When you were fighting Foresight, did you notice anything unusual? Because Paon was definitely acting weird.”

 _“Acting weird?”_ present Adrien yelped. “He tried to _kidnap_ you!”

“Aside from that.” Marinette calmly waved it away. “It was almost as if he wasn’t expecting to see Chat Noir at that fight.”

“The akuma also seemed to be surprised when Ladybug showed up.” Max rubbed his chin, sharing a curious look with Marinette over the rim of his glasses. “Foresight included.”

“Wait, really?” Present Adrien jolted at that. “So they didn’t use her ability to look into the future?”

“No, I think she did.” Marinette pursed her lips in thought. “I was supposed to be at my parents’ house, but Paon knew where to find me, so they must have used Foresight’s abilities to see that.” She then pointed at Adrien. “And Paon definitely panicked when Chat Noir appeared. Then when he surprised us in the foyer? It looked like he came from your old room.”

“He probably used the window to get inside,” Adrien pointed out. “I think we left it open.”

Marinette nodded, but her brow furrowed with something else. “I don’t think it was just that though… It was like he knew I was in _your_ room, specifically. If you hadn’t shown up, I probably would have still been in there.”

“Then… Chat Noir’s presence altered the future that Foresight saw? Or does he operate outside of time-line parameters?” Max mused out-loud. “It heavily indicates that she cannot accurately predict a future where Ladybug and Chat Noir are concerned.”

“It definitely felt that way.” Marinette nodded in agreement.

“So, wait…” Adrien tightened his grip on the bed rail, an idea forming in his mind. “Does that mean I’m invisible to Foresight’s powers?”

“If it is the case, then I guess you could put it that way...” Marinette’s gaze flicked back to his older self, and Adrien’s attention followed hers when she narrowed her eyes. “Okay, I know you two are technically the same person, but whatever you’re doing, it’s a bit creepy, because you both have the same look.”

“That’s because we had the same thought, right?” present Adrien said. “If Paon can’t predict where Chat Noir will be, then we’ll just have to take advantage of that.” He gave Adrien a wide grin and nodded. “And from the looks of it, you agree.”

“It’s a great idea!” Adrien hopped up before folding his arm over his waist and bending forward in a smooth bow. “Since this Paon fellow can’t predict where I’m going to be, it looks like I’ll be your escort once again, princess.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, but Adrien caught the gentle smile that tugged at her lips. “The two of you together? I don’t know if I can handle that.”

“While I’ve got no problems against this plan, there's something that’s still bothering me,” Adrien started hesitantly while straightening up. “Why is Hawk Moth targeting Marinette in the first place? I mean—akuma victims aside—but Paon wasn’t trying to akumatize her _or_ use her for a sentimonster.”

Present Adrien grinned as he leaned against the bed, propping his head up with an arm. “Probably because she’s just as much of a thorn in his side as Ladybug is.”

“What? Really?” Adrien’s wide eyes turned to Marinette, whom he couldn’t help but notice turned a slight shade of pink beneath his gaze.

“That’s not—I mean— **_Adrien._** _”_ Marinette leveled a stern look at his older self. “There’s still another issue here, isn’t there? What happens now that past-you knows so much? You don’t remember this at all, right?”

“Time is not so linear,” Max answered before present Adrien could say anything. “It is possible that by failing to keep future knowledge in check, we have created an alternate route. Either that, or when he returns to the past, our current time will change to reflect it, or nothing will happen at all, because a new, parallel future has been created based on these events.”

“So there’s a fifty-fifty chance we’ll either be safe or screwed?” present Adrien grumbled, his mouth turned down in a sullen frown.

Max adjusted his glasses. “Well… Not exactly fifty-fifty—”

Marinette waved her hands to interrupt, giving Max an apologetic look. “We don’t need to go over all of the statistics. With time travel, the probable outcomes could be infinite. What we really need to figure out is how to prevent the past from changing the future.”

“Of course.” Max nodded. “That being said, do you remember facing a villain like Foresight before?”

Marinette turned to present Adrien, who answered quickly, “I don’t know, but we’ve fought so many over the years, can we really keep track?” He shrugged. “Outside of our classmates, the only ones I remember are victims like Mr. Ramier, because they’ve been akumatized more than once—or several dozen times. If it happened, it was a quick fight, so we won’t really know for sure what the situation is until past-me returns to his time.”

“Alix mentioned that it might be self-fixing?” Adrien offered up at the pause in conversation, that detail having slipped his mind until Max had mentioned parallel time-lines. “It’s… why I left the apartment in the first place. I thought she was trying to be discreet in hinting that I needed to go…”

“Wait…” His future self stared at him a moment before jumping up and shouting, “She did that on purpose!”

“Adrien, calm down.” Marinette gently clasped his arm to get him back into his seat. “We don’t really know what she was trying to do yet. There are certain guidelines that she has to follow as holder of the rabbit miraculous.”

“Self-fixing could mean the past will have no effect on ours, or that they’ll simply forget everything when they return,” Max added, continuing on the conversation as if present Adrien’s outburst hadn’t happened.

Adrien jolted, and an uncomfortable sensation squirmed through him at Max’s words.

He would just… forget… everything?

His eyes moved over to Marinette, who’s hands had slipped down her husband’s arm to weave their fingers together in a gentle grip. As he watched them, a heavy weight seemed to press itself within his chest.

He loved Ladybug—that was unquestionable.

But seeing his future with Marinette, how happy they were…

He lowered his gaze to her stomach, hidden beneath the thin sheets of the hospital bed. Right there, inside of her, was an innocent life that hadn’t yet experienced the world.

His child. His and Marinette’s.

“So I’ll forget everything that’s happened here?” His grip tightened around the railing.

Everything about the future was so different from what he had imagined, and he shouldn’t have known anything about this time anyway.

But why did it hurt so much to think that he might lose it?

He wasn’t aware of what his older self was doing until he’d already reached across and laid his hand on his head, then shook it a little to muss up his hair. “Don’t worry too much about it. For all we know, you might keep your memories of this future when you go back. I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard to make sure this future happens.”

“B-but how?” Adrien’s voice rose with a hint of panic. “I don’t know how to get here? And besides, Marinette— _my_ Marinette—doesn’t like me at all.” His eyes widened when he quickly realized what he had just said. “Not that she’s _mine!_ I mean—in my time-line—we’re just friends!”

Marinette let out a sudden groan and covered her face before flopping back against the cushions. “This is a disaster!”

“We could just tell him—” present Adrien started, but Marinette lowered her hands and shot him a glare.

“Don’t you dare! I think we need to discuss this with Alix first. It’s gotten to the point where she needs to give us some guidance.” She then sighed and lowered her hands, rubbing the sheets right over her stomach. “And after all this, I’m going to need a very long nap.”

Adrien’s attention moved down to her stomach again, eying her fingers as they gently grasped the bedsheets. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

Marinette turned to him with a soft look and smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

She honestly looked anything but. Her face seemed pale, even though her cheeks were flushed almost red in the soft light of the hospital room. Despite her reassurances, he felt far from convinced that she was ‘fine.’

His doubt must have shown in his expression, because Tikki floated lower and landed on top of the sheets. “The baby should be okay. Mother and child share a special bond, so if Marinette is alright, the baby is too!” Tikki then curled up over the blanket and closed her eyes. After a quiet moment of confusion, Adrien realized that she was listening to something. He held his breath, and she eventually flitted up with a giggle. “It sounds comfortable in there!”

“What? You can hear it?” Plagg drifted down from Adrien’s shoulder, and without waiting for an invitation, burrowed beneath the sheets over Marinette’s stomach. A second later his kwami shot up as he phased back out. “You really can! I heard a heartbeat!”

Adrien leaned over the railing toward his kwami, mouth hanging open slightly. “Really?” The weight from earlier seemed to dissipate, replaced completely by curious awe. It was one thing to hear news about her pregnancy, but another entirely to actually have something a little more tangible thanks to Plagg’s observation.

Marinette’s giggle broke him out of his daze. “Would you like to see?”

“I…” Adrien’s heart stuttered nervously, and his eyes widened when he turned to her and breathed softly, “I can?”

“I make no promises with the results.” Marinette nodded in affirmation before brushing the bed sheets aside and pulling up her shirt a bit. “Our kwami have better hearing than we do, especially Plagg.”

He had certainly never looked at Marinette’s figure like this before, and she was obviously several years older than the version he was used to—but there was a distinct, unmistakable roundness to her that didn’t seem like the normal shape of a flat stomach.

Adrien lifted his arm hesitantly, but quickly glanced up at his older self when hit by a sudden realization. Marinette had been the one to invite him, and he had no inappropriate intentions behind his actions, but that didn’t mean present Adrien, who had been quiet throughout the exchange, might have been okay with it.

Much to his surprise, present Adrien simply wore a smirk on his face, and gave him a look that seemed to say, ‘I’m only allowing this because we’re technically the same person.’

So he reached forward and lay his hand gently against her skin. His fingers must have been cold, because he felt Marinette flinch beneath him before relaxing. It was… unusual, to say the least. There was a softness to her, but he could also feel a firm build of muscle just beneath his touch. And right below that... a tiny human life developing within her. Not that… not that he could actually _feel_ that part. But just the _idea..._

“It’s hard to believe the nurse said you’re starting to show,” his future self said with a warm expression. “I guess I didn’t notice since the growth was gradual.”

Adrien heard Marinette’s chiming laughter in his ears, as well as felt the vibration of it beneath his hand. “We’re entering the second trimester, so it will definitely be more noticeable soon enough. The baby’s going to start doubling in size before we know it.”

He didn’t feel any movement, but against his palm, Adrien thought he could feel a gentle pulse.

“I-is that…?” he stammered softly, his fingers twitching a bit against her. “A heartbeat?”

“Probably not.” Max leaned over his shoulder with a frown. “The blood flow increases to help with development, so it is most likely Marinette’s own pulse. It’s a good indication that the baby is developing well, but the mother might be the only one who can feel anything at this time.”

“Max,” present Adrien grumbled. “You’re ruining the magic.”

“Heh, sorry.”

“Buuuut, it really is hard to feel anything right now. They say that the baby’s about the size of a lemon at this stage.” His older self grinned back at Max. “Marinette will officially be in week fourteen in a couple of days.”

Though they were right next to him, Adrien had a hard time listening to the rest of their conversation. The two of them simply droned on about baby facts, his older self proudly rambling off information about the baby’s current and imminent development while Max corrected or added to his comments with his own knowledge.

He was too distracted by the thought of a growing baby hidden right beneath his hand.

Adrien’s fingers pressed a little more firmly against her stomach before he fully realized what he was doing. Future-wife or not, he was _touching_ Marinette. He quickly snapped his hand back and opened his mouth to apologize for his forwardness, but he froze when he caught present Adrien’s expression instead. He had a finger over his lips, and his eyes flicked quickly to the side.

Adrien followed the motion to stare at Marinette, surprised to find her eyelids closed. Her head gently listed to the side against the pillows. With soft and rhythmic breaths, she appeared to have nodded off while he was lost in his own thoughts.

“Looks like she couldn’t fight the exhaustion anymore,” present Adrien whispered. “She _has_ been through a lot today.”

Adrien nodded silently while Plagg plopped down on top of his head. Tikki beamed at him with a knowing smile from where she perched on Marinette’s shoulder.

“Max?” his older self addressed their friend quietly. “Can you take him back home?” He leveled a stern gaze at Adrien. “And this time, _no leaving the apartment_. _”_

"I've learned my lesson," Adrien whined, gently waving his hands and taking care not to disturb Marinette. "No more running around on my own. Although... Knowing this isn't really... bad?"

"I know how you feel," present Adrien mumbled, stealing another glance at Marinette. A serene expression crossed his face. "We’ll discuss everything else later. For now, the doctor shouldn’t be back anytime soon, since our actual appointment was set for later, but a nurse may come in to check on her."

With assurances that he wouldn’t step foot outside again, Max opened another portal, allowing Adrien to step from the quiet and sterile hospital room to the warm, open living room of their apartment.

∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙

Alya’s eyes followed each and every one of Marinette’s stiff steps as her young friend tensely paced over the floor of their apartment with Tikki quietly tucked against her shoulder. She hadn’t asked a single question or raised any concerns since Alya and Nino had returned with her to their apartment after the akuma attack.

Marinette paused, shook her head, and then started up again. Alya glanced down at Trixx, who was uncharacteristically quiet in her lap, her kwami’s large eyes restlessly following Marinette’s every movement. Alya turned and shared a quick look with Nino, who sat on the couch beside her mumbling something to Wayzz, but when he noticed her attention, he only offered a small shrug.

She knew her friend, regardless of her age—past or present. And it probably wasn’t a good idea to let Marinette stew over anything by herself for too long. Her thoughts had a tendency to get away from her. But with Marinette’s silence, Alya was completely in the dark as to where those thoughts were, exactly. At least, considering what had happened on that rooftop, she was certain she knew a little bit of what topic her mind was currently stuck on.

Clenching her fingers around her phone, Alya tapped at the screen and fired off a quick text to Adrien’s cell before glancing back at Marinette as she finally came to a halt in the middle of the living room.

“Okay…” Marinette took a deep breath. “Chat Noir and I are together?” She only paused for a brief beat before starting up again without giving them a chance to even answer. “Of course we are! I’m pregnant—I mean— _she’s_ pregnant! Her—me! And…” Marinette turned to them with an odd look. “Chat Noir is the father? Wait!” She grabbed at her pigtails and ducked behind the arm of the couch, as if that might hide her. “Are we married!?”

“Alright.” Alya stood up and held out her hands while Trixx leaped off her lap to hover beside her. “Let’s slow down for a moment and calmly discuss this. Why would you think you’re married to Chat Noir?”

“Because…” Marinette lowered her arms and wrung her fingers together. “He kissed her? I mean, it was just on the hand, but... This time it didn’t feel... like his usual thing? And-and future me—err, present-me didn’t stop him like I normally do. Although, the situation _was_ serious…”

“Ugh…” Alya rubbed her forehead, trying not to dwell too much on the damage this might have caused. _Of course_ Marinette had picked up on that. She was used to the way Chat Noir flirted, and whether or not her pregnant friend was completely aware of her actions, she most likely would have reciprocated _her own husband._ “They can’t hold themselves in check for five seconds!?”

“C’mon, Alya, give them some slack?” Nino tried hesitantly. “Marinette was in danger and Mr. Bug was just worried.”

“Fffff-ine,” Alya groaned before turning back to Marinette. “And… I guess there’s nothing we can say that will change what you heard. So, yes.” She clapped her hands together and pointed both index fingers in her friend’s direction. “Adult Marinette is pregnant.”

“Straight to the point?” Nino grumbled quietly while Marinette blinked slowly and appeared to look perturbed, almost as if it was her first time hearing the news. Tikki made a quiet squeak from Marinette’s shoulder, looking like she was trying—and failing—to hide her obvious elation.

“What?” Alya shot him an annoyed glare. “How would you have put it?”

“Seriously? You missed such an obvious opportunity.” Nino shrugged while giving her a playful smirk. “Marinette’s got a bun in the oven.”

“Nino,” Alya growled, kneading her forehead. She was definitely getting a headache. “If I didn’t love you, I would punch you.”

Wayzz sighed, “It was clever, if not ill-timed.”

“I am… Future me…?” Marinette mumbled softly, still lost in the information revealed to her, even if it was simply a confirmation of what she had witnessed. “And Chat Noir is... the father?”

Alya exchanged a nervous glance with Nino before nodding. “Yes…?”

“What about Chat Blanc?” Marinette asked meekly, lifting a hand to her mouth. “Do you know what… Do you know about that?”

“We do.” Alya nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. “There were a lot of things you told us once we all knew each other’s identities.”

“It didn’t make much sense before…” Marinette mused softly. “But Chat Blanc said that… That our love destroyed the world? If that’s true, then how did it work out _this_ time?”

Alya pursed her lips together, firmly resolute about _not_ dropping _that_ bomb. Chat Blanc had come about due to Adrien’s asshole of a father—but she just couldn’t blurt out THAT kind of information!

“Is it because Hawk Moth is gone?” Marinette’s question broke through her thoughts.

“What!?” Alya started while Nino’s jaw dropped open. “H-how did…? When did you find _that_ out!?”

“You hesitated when I mentioned him yesterday.” Marinette moved slowly over the floor, her eyes distant with a far-away look while she rubbed at her chin. “And the only way you could all be heroes again was if Hawk Moth were gone somehow, since he knows all of your identities.” She stopped and turned to them. “The future is… really different from how I imagined it.”

In the thick quiet of the room that followed, Alya practically jumped to the ceiling when a convincingly human, robotic voice startled them all. “Incoming video call from Alix Kubdel.”

“Really, Alix? _Now?”_ Alya groaned before turning toward the speaker in the wall. Obviously, things were getting out of hand with how much her friends’ past-selves were finding out, but as annoying as the interruption was, Alya had questions for their time-hopping friend. “Francis, answer that.”

“Yo!” Alix’s face immediately popped up on the TV screen in the living room, looking like she had not a care in the world—a stark contrast to the jumbled feeling that weighed down over Alya’s shoulders. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“Nope,” Alya grumbled. “You missed all the fun, actually.”

“Not doing so hot, keeping all the top-secret future stuff to yourself?” Alix said, an almost playful tone to her voice.

Alya paused at her friend’s unusual joy before narrowing her eyes in suspicion. “What do you know that we don’t?”

“I mean, I know how to organize a bunch of ancient texts—”

“Alix!” Alya shouted heatedly, agitation tossing out any of her patience, especially when it appeared that Alix knew more about the situation than she was letting on.

“Alright, alright!” Alix winced, but she was grinning, much to Alya’s annoyance. “So, I may have figured out that we’re all in a very serious time-loop.”

“Can you clarify that a little for those of us who don’t understand all this timey-wimey stuff?” Alya huffed.

“Urgh, okay. It’s like this,” Alix said while pinching the bridge of her nose. “It’s a bit confusing, since I’ve been all over the place, but secrets keep getting out, right?” She pointed at the screen, then started up again before Alya could answer. “I thought we had to keep fixing all the issues. Well, not every little detail, but obviously the big stuff like Marinette’s baby and such. But no matter what I did, things just kept getting worse.”

“‘Worse?’” Nino repeated, leaning forward with a worried look. “Worse how?”

Alix pursed her lips together. “Well, nothing was great to begin with… Basically, events would just repeat themselves, and the secret would be out again in no time. Sometimes it was no big deal, others…” she suddenly quieted, scratching at the back of her neck. “Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. You’ll have to trust me when I say we’re on the best path.”

 _“‘Best. Path?’”_ Alya barked as her patience suddenly snapped. “You knew all this was going to happen?”

Alix shrank back from the screen with a wince, her expression tight with what looked like sincere remorse. “C’mon, Alya, our very existence as we know it is on the line. I had to let certain events happen—”

“Marinette could have lost her baby!” Alya furiously shouted, stomping closer to the TV, concern for her friend’s safety igniting the heat of her anger. “In fact, she probably _did_ before the miraculous ladybug fixed everything!”

“Hey! I’m not happy about that either!” Alix snapped back. “But the Miraculous cure _did_ fix that, so the baby’s good.”

“And how can you be so sure?” Alya growled skeptically. “Ad—Mister Bug only just took Marinette to the hospital to make sure.”

“Well, it’s simple—I know from The Burrow knowledge.” Alix wrinkled her nose and shrugged. “But you’ll find out from the text.”

“What—” Before she could hardly get her question out, Alya’s phone dinged.

“That one,” Alix said smugly. “You wanna check that?”

“He says Marinette’s okay,” Nino announced with a smile, having picked up Alya’s phone before she could reach for it. “Baby’s fine too.”

“See,” Alix pointed out with a grin. “Good time-line.”

“Is there a time-line where I strangle you?” Alya growled. “Because this might be it.”

“Babe, I’m not telling you to chill out, but it might not be a good idea to do that,” Nino said with a nervous look. Alya turned her glare on him, but when she didn’t say anything, he averted his attention to Alix. “Can I ask a question? If this is all just one big time-loop, how come our Marinette doesn’t remember any of this happening before?”

“It’s most likely because of Foresight,” Alix explained. “Once past Marinette uses her Miraculous Ladybug after purifying the akuma, everything should be reset. It makes sense because their past-selves only learned all of this thanks to the akuma’s powers. That’s the working theory anyway.”

“So… I’ll just forget everything?” Marinette asked.

“Well…” Alix hesitated.

“‘Well,’ what?” Alya asked sharply, crossing her arms and arching a single eyebrow.

“I mean, it just feels like a coincidence that it all happened _now,_ right?” Alix motioned toward Marinette. “There might still be some subconscious stuff, even if everything gets erased. Because, y’know, time things happened? Marinette was more cautious after Chat Blanc, because once our Marinette found out who Chat Noir was, she didn’t immediately jump into a relationship and destroy the world.”

“Jump into a relationship? What makes you think I’d fall for Chat Noir so quickly?” Marinette planted her hands on her hips. “He’s not irresistible underneath that mask!” she exclaimed with a huff. Her eyes then shifted to the side, losing a bit of confidence. “Not that… I would know,” she mumbled quietly.

Alya immediately covered her mouth with her hands as she struggled to withhold her laughter at the irony of Marinette’s statement, her agitation from before subsiding. “Girl! He is totally your type!” she blurted, failing to keep her overwhelming laughter in check.

“No he’s not!” Marinette shouted defensively as she spun toward Alya, looking offended that any version of her friend would even think that.

“But thanks to that fight with Chat Blanc, you found out that you fell for him, right?” Alix drawled with a half-lidded expression.

“I… I wasn’t sure if that was _entirely_ true,” Marinette stammered softly. “It was a different time-line, and he didn’t seem to be all there when we fought…” She restlessly tapped her fingers together. “Are we really a couple?” Alya couldn’t help the quirk of her lips as she watched a pale blush spread over Marinette’s cheeks. “How could he just give up on Ladybug like that?”

“Uh.” Nino pointed at her. “Because you _are_ Ladybug?”

Alix laughed. “And you were confusing the poor guy.”

“Okay, so now what? Do we just keep looking for Foresight?” Alya asked, trying to steer the conversation away from dangerous topics. Regardless of what Alix mentioned about the futility of keeping their secrets, they couldn’t just let anything slip so easily. “Because in all that mess, she managed to get away. _Again._ How do you catch an akuma that knows you’re coming?” she asked curiously. 

“That’s a part of the time-line Fluff’s not too sure about. We don’t normally make it _this_ far.” With a grimace, Alix turned to look over her shoulder, appearing to be listening to someone else in the room. There was no one there, but Alya suspected Fluff might have had something to say when Alix responded to the silence. “Yes, thank you, I realize we’re in a blind-spot.”

“What’s the situation?” Alya asked, unable to hear or see the kwami on the other end of the call.

“Well...” Alix’s eyes moved to Marinette, and everyone else’s in the room followed suit. “We might need Mini-bug and Kitten to meet without the masks.”

“What!?” Marinette yelped and tugged at her hair in shock, her eyes nearly as wide as saucers.

“Really?” Alya said a little more calmly as she crossed her arms, turning back towards the TV. _“That’s_ your big plan for luring out the akuma? To have Ladybug and Chat Noir reveal their identities to each other?” she asked with a dead-panned look.

“Can we talk about how that’s a _bad_ idea first?” Marinette tried, shifting uneasily on her feet. “Did everyone forget the conversation we _just_ had about Chat Blanc!? You _do_ know what happens, right?”

“Well, the working theory is that Foresight can’t predict the future with Chat Noir and Ladybug,” Alix explained while rubbing her forehead. “So trust me, we’ve got to get you two together, and the details to that are excruciatingly annoying to follow, even for me.”

“So the fate of the future rests on whether or not we’re _dating?”_ Marinette folded her arms, clearly flabbergasted.

“Not _together,_ together!” Alix threw her arms up. “Just in the same room!” She then shook her head. “Look, I know it doesn’t make much sense, but I’ve seen a few bad-outcomes already. Believe me when I say we’re in the best time-line.”

“Wait, ‘a few?’” Alya asked softly. “How many times have you used The Burrow?”

Alix raised her hands and waved them with a shake of her head. “That’s not something I really want to answer, and I’m not going through _all_ of the lousy outcomes just to explain why this is the best option.” Her expression grew serious. “Chat Noir and Ladybug together will be stronger, because otherwise, Marinette— _our_ Marinette—will be in serious trouble. Farfalla’s really gunning for her this time.”

“Is it possible to explain why the villain is so dead-set on attacking me, or would that be too revealing of future information?” Marinette asked, frowning.

Before Alya could even answer, Alix jumped in with a response. “Oh, that’s because Lila’s _super_ jealous that you’re happily married. She was even more upset when news got out that you were pregnant.”

A thick silence settled over the room as Alya bristled, her eyes shooting over to Marinette, who wore an expression of complete confusion. “Lila…?” she questioned softly.

While Alya was trying to process a way to steer this into a safer zone of conversation, much to her shock, Alix spoke up again.

“Yeah, she calls herself Farfalla with the butterfly miraculous.”

In the absolute stillness of the room, Alya could have heard a pin drop.

“WHAT!?” Marinette’s shriek split the quiet.

Tikki mirrored Marinette’s alarm, a pure look of dismay and concern spreading across the kwami’s face. She zipped closer to the television and demanded, “What do you mean that girl has the butterfly miraculous!?”

Alya spun around to shoot Alix a furious look. “Was that _really_ necessary?”

“What?” Alix raised an eyebrow. “Some of these are like ripping off a band aid.”

Alya groaned. “You couldn’t have warned us!?”

“B-but…” Marinette stammered, obviously still disoriented by Alix’s disturbing news. _“How did Lila get the butterfly miraculous!?”_

“Félix stole it and gave it to her.” Alix looked irritatingly smug while Alya jumped up with a yell, but her friend continued on despite the interruption. “After taking the peacock for himself, of course.”

“W-what?” Marinette’s face seemed to pale, looking as if she were about to faint. “Isn’t that… A-Adrien’s cousin…?” 

“Yeah, but I can’t really explain why _he’s_ involved.” Alix gave her a simple shrug.

“Sure, good,” Alya drawled while massaging her forehead. “It’s nice to know you draw the line somewhere.”

“Hey, I’m not evil!” Alix shot.

“Uh, Alix? Think you short-circuited her.” Nino waved his hand in front of Marinette’s face, and for a moment, she didn’t react. Not until Tikki flew back around to hover next to her did Marinette suddenly shake her head.

“No... no.” Marinette covered her face before dragging her hands down. “I’m just… just trying to process all of that.”

“How are you holding up?” Alya asked, stepping around Nino to lean closer to her friend.

“Honestly?” Marinette looked up. “I’m not surprised.” She lowered her hands, her shoulders sagging slightly. “So you all… You know about Lila?”

Alya shrugged. “Her lies started to fall apart once I knew who you were. Your best friend spot was already taken, so it was kind of impossible to claim to be Ladybug’s when Marinette hates her guts.” She pointed at the television screen where Alix quietly observed. “Same goes for the rest of our class once they all knew Ladybug’s identity.”

“Really, Alya?” Alix snorted. “Way to give _that_ away.”

“Oh, bite me!” Alya snapped, spinning toward the TV. “She already knows who she has in mind for the miraculous, because she’s the one who picked them all! Luka and Kagami are like, the only ones not in our college class!”

“Alright, alright,” Nino stood up and quickly interjected, probably because he didn’t want everything to just devolve into another argument. “So we need to get Marinette here and Chat Noir in the same place. Are we doing this tonight?” he asked.

“Not tonight.” Alix shook her head. “We’ll give _our_ Marinette time to recover, because we’re not out of the loop just yet. I’ll call them up tomorrow and explain.” There was a mischievous glint in her eye that Alya didn’t like. “Then the fun begins.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaagh, we're doing this again, yey! I'm so happy to be back in the groove of writing! Next time, we'll get to see what's behind a certain door. ;3


	13. Closed Doors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Quick note that if you're re-reading this, there has been a slightly big change/retcon going on. So if you notice something off, that's probably it! So there are no spoilers for new readers, I will go into greater detail at the end of this chapter.

Adrien restlessly paced back and forth in front of the balcony in the apartment’s living room. He had attempted to sit down and relax a few times, in hopes of distracting himself with one of the many games at his disposal, but with the turmoil of thoughts on his mind, he simply couldn’t concentrate on enjoying anything.

“Chill out, kid,” Plagg said from where he lounged on an empty plate that, only moments ago, held a small wheel of cheese. “They looked fine when we left.”

“How can I not worry, Plagg?” Adrien stopped to frown at his kwami. “That was more than three hours ago!”

“Isn’t that just a normal doctor’s visit?” Plagg rolled over and gave him a bored look.

“Not for a routine check-up,” Adrien answered, tapping his foot impatiently.

Past the glass doors, the sun had just started to sink into the horizon, painting the sky a blend of purple and orange hues. It would have been a gorgeous spectacle to watch, but Adrien couldn’t appreciate it, his thoughts constantly returning to Marinette. She _had_ looked better when he’d left her, and at least she was resting, but there was no telling what might have happened after that.

It was times like this where he sorely missed the ease of technological communications. A quick text was all he needed to find out her status—unfortunately for him, his service provider didn’t appear to cover seven years into the future.

Adrien jumped when the sound of keys jingling at the front entrance yanked him from his deep thoughts. From the hallway, he could make out the unintelligible murmur of voices, certain he knew who they possibly belonged to.

“—not afraid of needles!” Marinette’s words rang out as the door opened, her gaze twisted away from Adrien.

Adrien’s older self immediately followed after her, with Tikki flitting out from one of his pockets as he folded his arms. “So you just fainted for no reason?”

“You fainted?” Adrien’s heart jolted in a panic, immediately worried if she should be lying down.

“No!” Marinette spun around to face him as she frantically waved her hands, alleviating a little bit of his anxiety before the next rush of words flew out of her mouth. “I mean—I _did_ , but—It wasn’t anything serious.” She then turned and pointed an accusatory finger at her husband. “Stop it! You’re scaring him!”

Present Adrien shut the door behind them, then lifted his hands in surrender while Marinette marched into the kitchen. “Well, it’s only natural for anyone to be concerned, hearing that.”

“So something happened at the hospital?” Adrien quickly interjected before they could move away from the topic. He didn’t want to be kept out of the loop simply for fear of making him worry.

“It was just a routine test, that’s all.” Marinette’s cheeks flushed a shade of pink as she poured herself a glass of water and took a few sips before adding, “But I… may have fainted when they drew blood—which is a _normal_ thing that can happen to _anyone.”_

“I’d be less worried if it really was a common symptom, but this is the third time it’s happened this week.” Present Adrien stepped after her into the kitchen. “That’s hardly a normal occurrence.”

“Hah!” Marinette let out a quick bark of laughter, raising a single eyebrow as she turned his way. “As if we have ‘normal’ lives.” She motioned to Tikki where the kwami floated over her shoulder. “I’m willing to admit that the first time was unexpected, and the time after that was mostly due to the akuma. But today—well, it’s been a long day.” She averted her gaze and restlessly tapped her fingers against the glass of water. “It might have been a combination of nerves and fatigue. I thought I _was_ calm, but the whole drawing blood portion was a bit… daunting.”

With a smirk on his face, present Adrien leaned over her shoulder. “So you _do_ have a needle phobia?”

Marinette smacked her glass against the counter, exhaustion coloring her tone. “I do _not_ have a needle phobia!”

“Okay, okay!” Present Adrien’s expression quickly turned apologetic as he proceeded to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her into a hug. “I’ll stop—” A sharp chiming noise from his pocket cut off the rest of his words. With a disgruntled sigh, he lifted his cell phone, took one look at the screen, and jumped up with a horrified yelp. “Nathalie!”

A quick string of apologies escaped present Adrien as he bolted out of the room.

Tikki giggled behind her paws. “In all the commotion, he must have forgotten to update her.”

“You _are_ okay now, right?” Adrien leaned against the marble counter and peered over the divide, watching Marinette as she crouched and rummaged through the low cabinets.

“Aside from feeling tired, the doctor said both the baby and I are perfectly healthy and developing fine,” she replied with a smile after straightening up, holding a pot in her hands. “In fact, I’m getting hungry. I haven’t eaten since lunch, and they wouldn’t let me have any food at the hospital. What about you?”

As if the mention of a meal was the trigger, Adrien’s stomach chose that moment to let out a low gurgle. All that worrying must have worked up an appetite. “Dinner sounds great.”

Marinette grinned and turned to the stove. “Just make yourself comfortable then, I’ll have it ready in a bit.”

“Wait, you don’t have to do all that!” Adrien jumped up and scrambled around the kitchen counter, blocking Marinette’s path. “Just tell me what to do and I’ll get it.”

Marinette folded her arms and grumbled, “Not this again.”

Adrien stared at her with a blank look. “‘Again?’”

Tikki laughed from where she had landed to sit on Marinette’s shoulder. “Are you surprised? They’re exactly alike, just different ages.”

“I shouldn’t be,” Marinette sighed and waved in the direction that his older self had disappeared in. “When my husband found out, he reacted the same way,” she explained.

Adrien’s heart jolted sharply for the second time that day at the use of the word ‘husband.’ He still wasn’t used to hearing it when referring to himself. An adult version of himself, yes, but still... “But you shouldn’t be moving around, right?” Adrien asked, concern furrowing his brow. “You fainted at the hospital…”

Marinette laughed, and her warm expression chased away a bit of his unease. “That was hours ago, and I’ve rested long enough that I feel fine. I can’t spend all of my time laying down!” Patting a hand on top of his shoulder, she shuffled around him and set the pot on the stove. “I can still do chores. In fact, moving is good for the baby, but I promise that I’ll lie down if I’m feeling unwell, okay?”

Adrien crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes as he considered this. “I guess… that’s okay.”

“How about this,” Marinette huffed playfully as she motioned at one of the many kitchen drawers. “I’ll show you where the dishes are and you can do all the ‘moving around’ parts.”

That sounded more reassuring, so while Marinette boiled up the beginnings of a stew, Adrien lent a hand with setting the plates and silverware out on the table. The task wasn’t difficult at all, and he only ran into a little bit of trouble when Marinette directed Adrien to a covered plate of cheese sitting on the counter top.

At the mention of cheese, Plagg zipped out from wherever he had been hiding and made a dive for the dish. Adrien managed to simultaneously grab the plate in one hand while catching Plagg in the other before he could swipe anything.

“Plagg, don’t be rude, no one else has eaten yet,” Adrien chastised his kwami while Plagg hung limply in his grasp. “Besides, what’s the rush? There’s not even any Camembert.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Plagg moaned while Adrien brought the plate over to the table. “Isn’t there just one little morsel somewhere in this place?”

“Nope.” Tikki flew over carrying a small stack of napkins. “We found out pretty quickly that Camembert was a bad trigger for Marinette’s nausea. It’s actually what clued us in that she was pregnant in the first place.”

“Always knew that Camembert was an amazing cheese,” Plagg said smugly, folding his arms. “I think we should get some in order to celebrate its incredible abilities!”

“You know we can’t do that,” Adrien chided.

Plagg limply hung in the air and sighed, “It was worth a shot.”

Adrien noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see his older self returning from the hallway. “Getting dinner ready?” present Adrien asked, dropping his phone onto the counter. “Need any help in the kitchen?”

“I haven’t chopped any lettuce for a salad.” Marinette glanced over her shoulder while she stirred the soup. “Could you get that ready and gather up all the toppings?”

“Can do,” present Adrien practically sang while he flitted to the fridge. “Is there any bread left?”

“Are you kidding?” Marinette let out a quick laugh. “You live with a Dupain. There’s _always_ bread.”

Of course, Marinette was right. They quickly found the box from her parents’ bakery—a day old but still good—stowed between the microwave and coffee maker. Adrien filled a basket with rolls and sliced baguettes while his older self gathered the salad fixings.

“I know Marinette’s handling most of the cooking right now,” Adrien started as he helped set the food out. “But I never thought I’d see the day when I would be preparing a meal.”

“I actually looked into hiring a personal chef in the beginning, since I didn’t know my way around a kitchen before we started living together.” Present Adrien let out a soft snort of laughter and inclined his head in the direction of Tikki and Plagg. The pair of kwami hovered over the cheese plate, having a sort of whisper-argument that Adrien couldn’t catch the words to. “But I decided against it. It’s more enjoyable when our kwami don’t have to hide so much. Besides, Marinette showed me the ropes.”

Setting the bowl of salad on the table, present Adrien frowned as he glanced back into the kitchen. The smell of searing chicken wafting their way from a new pan while a finished pot of sweet potato soup simmered on the stove beside Marinette. “I might need to look into that again though.”

As Adrien arranged the silverware, he paused, remembering something that Marinette had said earlier. “Can I ask a question?”

Present Adrien hummed in thought, but he quickly shrugged. “You can, but I may or may not answer, depending on what it is.”

Adrien’s eyes flicked back to Marinette, humming a soft tune in front of the stove. “What about your last name?”

There was a brief beat of silence as his older self seemed to consider his response before grinning. “I took hers.”

The fork that Adrien had been holding clattered to the table, but he quickly recovered and snatched it up.

“Everything alright?” Adrien glanced back to see Marinette turned his way, a concerned frown on her face.

“Sorry, just surprised,” Adrien chuckled. “Nothing bad.”

“I obviously won’t go into details,” Present Adrien continued in a low voice. “But the Agreste name isn’t as great as it’s cracked up to be. Besides…” A mischievous looking smirk spread over his expression, and Adrien curiously watched as his older self waltzed into the kitchen to slide up behind Marinette. “Dupain-Cheng has a beautiful ring to it, wouldn’t you say?”

Marinette must have returned to focusing on the food, because she let out a surprised shriek when present Adrien leaned over to lay a chaste kiss against her neck.

“Adrien!” She lightly slapped him away, her face and ears turning red. “Don’t do that when I’m handling hot pans!”

By that point, the light scent of herbal seasonings and cooked meat permeated the apartment, so Adrien and his older self insisted on carrying the dishes while Marinette sat down at the table. With food in front of them, dinner quickly turned into an affair that Adrien had never thought would be something he could enjoy.

At the mansion, meals were often boring and lonely. On the rare occasion that his father might join him, there was hardly ever any conversation to be had between them. The silence was so deafening, and the atmosphere tense. Even if he followed proper etiquette to a T, it was always uncomfortable. With such a large space between them, it was as if his father sat miles away from him.

The table this time, however? It wasn’t even half the length, but still had plenty of room to accommodate guests. Present Adrien took his seat at the head, while Marinette sat to his right and Adrien at his left. Along with their own places, they had even set up a few smaller dishes nearby for Tikki and Plagg to join them, something that Adrien wished he could do back home for how right it felt.

They made sure to stay away from future revealing topics, but what conversation they had was warm, only adding to the cheery atmosphere. There was even a brief moment of chaos that had him devolving into a fit of laughter when Marinette nearly stabbed his older self with her fork. Whether or not it was because of her hormones, Adrien would keep in mind to never try to steal a bite of Marinette’s dessert.

Despite the bit of turmoil, it gave him a pleasant feeling that had been all but lost to him. Sure, he’d had fun meals with his friends before, but not like this. Not in a place that felt like…

A home.

With dinner eventually finished, and the dishes cleaned and put away, they migrated into the living room. Present Adrien had gathered up a collection of movies and shows that they could watch together to give them something to pass the time before bed.

“Just pick whatever you want,” Marinette responded with a yawn when he asked if she had a preference. “I’m probably going to fall asleep any minute.”

So Adrien chose a movie that he had seen probably a hundred times, but that didn’t matter because it was one that he immensely enjoyed. Not even ten minutes into the film, he curiously turned his gaze to the other end of the couch where his older self and Marinette sat. She was already nestled against his shoulder with her eyelids closed. Probably to give them some space, Tikki had settled along the back, while Plagg claimed the center, having an entire cushion all to himself. He couldn’t help but smile to himself at the scene before him.

“Is the pregnancy making her tired?” Adrien asked softly, picking up the remote to lower the volume on the TV.

Present Adrien barely nodded his head in answer, taking great pains not to disturb his sleeping wife. “The first trimester is said to be the worst,” he whispered. “Marinette hasn’t had it easy, but this isn’t unexpected.”

Adrien watched as his future self waited a moment before giving Marinette’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Love, do you want to get up and bathe?”

“Not tonight,” Marinette mumbled softly, not even opening her eyes. “Have fun.”

“Alright,” present Adrien chuckled. “I’ll be back in a bit then.” He shifted carefully to stand, and once he was gone, Marinette quickly readjusted her position on the sofa. Stretching her arms above her head, a soft pop emitted from her back before she plopped against the cushions and laid out along their length. There was still plenty of room left, even though her new arrangement monopolized an entire side.

After a moment of quiet, with her eyelids shut, Adrien assumed that she had simply fallen back asleep until he heard her quiet voice. “Was the guest bed comfortable last night?”

Adrien turned his gaze to see her watching him, her head nestled in the crook of her elbow and a gentle smile tugging at her lips.

“Oh!” He nodded. “Yes, it was fine. No problems.”

“Are you sure?” She tilted her head. “I know you might not want to trouble us if there were any issues, so don’t be afraid to say anything. We just finished furnishing the guest room, so you’re the first to properly use it.”

“It’s alright, really,” Adrien reassured her before glancing around the apartment. If the guest room was so recently finished, then that meant they hadn’t lived here long, right? Out of curiosity he asked, “Are you still newly-weds?”

“I guess we still qualify. It hasn’t been a year yet,” Marinette chuckled and sat up on the couch, stretching her arms above her head again. As she flopped her hands back down, she tapped her fingers against the cushion before eventually turning to him with a curious look. “Would you like to see one of the locked rooms?”

Adrien’s heart jumped, almost feeling like it might climb out of his chest in surprise. “R-really?”

“Now that you know about the baby, I think it should be obvious what it is.” Marinette gave him a wink. “The others are just storage where Adrien hid some of my stuff, but they’re still off limits, because I’d rather you not see _that_ mess.”

As she stood up and moved away from the couch, Adrien scrambled to his feet to follow after her, vaguely aware of the two kwami as they flitted along behind him. Where the carpet ended in the living room, the floor turned into elegant hardwood at the hallway, which veered off to the left, leading to an open study with a few closed doorways in between.

Marinette stopped at the first room closest to them, one situated immediately to the right of the door where Adrien had guessed led to the master bedroom. He could hear the muted sound of running water while she fiddled with the lock for a moment before turning the handle and stepping inside. His chest tightening as he shuffled after her, Adrien was fully aware of what it could be, but he still didn’t really know what to expect.

The room was dark. The only light source came from a window on the far wall, where the glowing lights of Paris peeked around a pair of lacy curtains. As he stepped forward cautiously, the fresh scent of paint immediately hit him, and he could feel the open space expand around him. Even without seeing it, it was obvious that the room was undergoing some renovations.

Marinette flipped a switch on the wall, and a hanging lamp lit the area in a gentle glow, revealing the room in its entirety. As he guessed, there was hardly any furniture covering the bare floors and empty walls. Though there wasn’t much to it, what he saw quickly took his breath away.

Stretched over the floor on one side was a plastic tarp, where cans of different colored paints and trays lined the bottom of what looked like an incomplete mural. Some of the colors created a patchwork of the scenery, where blotches covered the faded outlines of a large pencil sketch. Unfinished as it was, Adrien could still make out the glow of lights floating in what would become a sea of deep purples and blues, already imagining the lighter tones of Paris at night and its iconic tower as it spilled out before him.

“Remember Nathaniel?” Marinette asked, stepping up to the wall. Though she lifted her hand as if to touch it, she stayed well away from the tarp strewn out beneath it. “He offered to paint this. This will be the Eiffel Tower, since you can’t see the real one from this window. And we thought about stringing up some fairy lights for a night light.” She turned around to face him with a smile. “Not the real-deal, but still a fun idea, right?”

“It’s…” Adrien felt his throat tighten as his eyes moved over the rest of the room, a sudden wave of emotion hitting him like a punch to his gut. A rocking chair had been positioned in the corner where it sat over by the window. And closer to the door, near the hanging lamp, an empty box lay discarded on the floor where wooden railings and the headboard of a newly bought crib awaited assembly.

The room was barely furnished, but what he saw created a complete enough picture for his mind to fully understand. It finally hit him that this… _This_ was his future.

“It’s great,” Adrien finally managed to choke out.

“Adrien?”

Marinette’s gentle voice was like a breath of air sweeping away a smothering fog. He hadn’t even realized she’d moved closer until his vision focused on her kneeling in front of him, her brow furrowed with concern. Even Tikki and Plagg, who both exchanged a worried look, hovered close behind her.

“I…” His voice came out faint, almost strangled sounding, and he had to swallow past the lump in his throat. His eyes stung with tears that he hadn’t noticed before. “I’m going to be a father someday.”

Marinette breathed out a quiet laugh that turned into a sniffle, and she quickly wiped at her eyes. “I’ve already been through this, but you’re still making me cry.” She then leaned forward to catch him in a hug, and he didn’t hesitate to return her embrace, wrapping his arms over her shoulders and burying his face against her neck.

The tears that blurred his vision finally spilled freely, and though his body shook from soft sobs, he felt nothing but warmth from this woman that would one day become his wife. There was no remorse for his lost love—only an intense desire for a future that would one day become his.

It felt like an eternity passed between them before Adrien finally pulled away, wiping at his nose and eyes like a child.

“Better?” Marinette asked with a gentle grin, her own eyes red from tears.

“You’re going to be an amazing mother,” Adrien choked out with a quiet chuckle.

“And you’re going to make me cry again,” she laughed softly, pressing their foreheads together, her cheeks flushing pink in the gentle light.

“Tissue?” a soft voice squeaked, and Adrien straightened up to find Tikki smiling at him, carrying a tissue in her paws.

“If it isn’t prying too much,” Adrien started after he thanked Tikki and dried his eyes. “How did we… or you… How did it happen?” He crumpled the damp tissue in his hands. “I didn’t think Marinette… _my_ Marinette—I mean… She doesn’t like me that way. Not that—she’s not… You know what, nevermind,” he mumbled softly, averting his gaze.

Marinette leaned back and let out a lengthy groan. “I can’t even begin to explain anything...”

“And you don’t have to, really. I know that.” Adrien quickly shook his head. He shouldn’t have expected an answer, but he couldn’t help his own thoughts as they wandered back, recalling the events that led to Marinette’s father getting akumatized. “I can kind of see how it happened if she fell in love with Chat Noir… But with me?” His voice almost sounded disappointed to his own ears. “She always tells me something different.”

Marinette sighed and covered her face. “Would you settle for the explanation that girls are complicated?” she asked, peeking from behind her hands. “Especially when it came to my crazy, teenage brain.”

A soft, sudden laugh escaped Adrien at that, which quickly faded into the quiet when Marinette got to her feet. “You really don’t have to explain anything,” Adrien reassured her, watching carefully as she shuffled over the floor and flopped onto the rocking chair to lean against it.

“Like it matters anymore!” Plagg let out a sharp bark of laughter, floating onto his back and hovering about a foot from Adrien’s face. “You’re on a roll, kid. With everything you’ve learned, you know more about the future than what you don’t.”

“Plagg!” Tikki sharply exclaimed. Flitting up next to him and crossing her arms. She leveled him with a stern glare, one that his kwami nonchalantly ignored. “That’s exactly the reason we shouldn’t say anything else! Too much has already been revealed!”

Marinette tilted her head, seemingly curious as she leaned on her arm. “No… I think Plagg’s right,” Marinette mused softly, and Adrien blinked at her in surprise while she continued. “He already knows about our marriage and the baby. Knowing the in-between wouldn’t change that.”

“So…” Adrien hesitated, taking a cautious step toward her, as if he might spook her and she’d change her mind. His pulse began to race with anticipation. “You’ll tell me how we—you two...?”

Marinette stifled a giggle beneath her hand and gently shook her head. His shoulders drooped as his excitement was doused like water over a flame.

“To be honest, it’s way too convoluted to go into the whole story,” she answered instead, and like a yo-yo reeling back and forth, Adrien’s disappointment ebbed away at the sound of her words. A kind smile pulled at her lips, and her eyes were distant as her gaze appeared to look past him. Warmth reflected there like the soft amber glow of the hanging lamp, as if she was staring fondly at her memories of the past. “So in the simplest way possible… There was always something between us,” Marinette quietly explained. “Throw in our secret identities and trouble with the Miraculous, and somehow we eventually… figured things out.” She gave a tiny shrug before leaning back in the chair and rocking gently.

“Always…?” Adrien breathed in a hushed tone.

Marinette nodded, her serene expression focused back on him as her mind appeared to return to the present. “Always,” she repeated, the sincerity in her gaze feeling as if it was projected onto him.

That sparked a sense of familiarity somewhere inside of him. The idea of a small kindness. A gift here and there, supporting words… And a desire to have her by his side.

A serene hush enveloped him, and with it was a feeling of realization… Of understanding. It was the relief of seeing her safe in the hospital… Of that joyful moment they had all been laughing together at the dinner table... Or catching that quiet peace as she napped on the couch just that evening.

Wasn’t this… wasn’t _this_ how he'd always felt with Marinette? Maybe her feelings weren't the same as he knew them, but had his ever really changed?

_There was always something between us._

“So…” Adrien started slowly, carefully stepping around the two kwami and strolling across the floor until he stood directly in front of Marinette. With his hands clasped behind his back, he leaned forward, invading her space a bit while a playful grin grew on his face. “You two were playing cat and mouse?”

Marinette’s expression was a blank look of confusion before her eyes widened and she devolved into a fit of giggling. “Oh, ha hah, no—yes! That is… sort of,” she managed to get out between her laughter. “Although I don’t technically have Mullo right now.”

“Why is that, anyway?” Adrien straightened up and turned his attention to Tikki, who moved to hover near his shoulder. “Did Ladybug take the mouse miraculous back because of the baby?”

“The plan was to keep both of them safe.” Tikki crossed her arms and vigorously nodded.

“Well, I guess I can understand why she did that.” Adrien rubbed his chin, his expression pulling into a serious frown. “But with Hawk Moth after you, I think it would be safer if you could transform, because as far as your identity goes, I already know it,” he explained. “You wouldn’t have to fight, but at least as Multimouse, you could escape or protect yourself.”

Marinette blinked at him, as if the idea might not have occurred to her—which he found a little hard to believe. Aside from her temporary leave, she was a superhero full-time now. How could she forget about her own miraculous? “That… does sound like a good idea,” she murmured. The surprise of his suggestion was quickly wiped away with a mischievous grin. “Guess I’ll have to see what Ladybug thinks.”

“Really?” Adrien could hear the excitement he felt escape into his voice. It had seemed like forever since he’d last seen Marinette as Multimouse, thanks to the one and only time she’d ever shown up.

Marinette nodded. “I’m sure she’ll agree, since we didn’t expect the enemy to target me outside of the costume. And I think that my husband will feel the same way.”

“So, uh, when will you do that?” Adrien tried not to sound too eager at the prospect of meeting Lady Noire again. “Won’t you need me to go with you for a meeting?”

“I’ll handle everything, don’t worry.” Marinette rocked back in the chair. “As for the meeting, you’ll just have to wait. We still need to keep a few secrets between us.”

∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙

_Too hot._

Marinette’s consciousness rolled out of the confusing fog of her dreams, the smell of her husband’s soap dominating her senses. She blinked the sleep from her eyes to find Adrien’s peaceful face only inches from hers, his features obscured by the shadows of night. Despite how late it probably was—or how early in the morning it might have been—a soft glow from the lights beyond their shaded windows outlined his blond hair like a gentle halo. She managed to suppress a soft giggle, the spectacle reminding her of a particular ad from their teenage years. Even now, he still looked like an angel while he slept.

Moving as quietly as she could, Marinette pulled her hand away from his chest to try and untangle his fingers from her hair, only to feel him tighten his grip. It took everything in her to not growl from the frustration.

While it had been cute to discover that her husband was very much a cuddler in his sleep, at a time when she felt uncomfortably warm, it wasn’t so welcome. And with the added discomfort in her bladder, there was no way she could feasibly get back to bed without taking care of business. Sleep was a precious commodity, and she currently couldn’t afford to lose any.

How frustrating that her body was reacting in this way. Marinette had always thought the whole ‘frequent bathroom trips’ wouldn’t be an issue until much later in her pregnancy, when the baby got bigger—but noooo. It had to be one of the early symptoms, waking her up in the middle of the night when she was already exhausted and disoriented from her hormones being out of whack.

At least in this moment it worked in her favor, because she had another thing to take care of in such late hours of the night.

She tried to shift slowly, but as she removed Adrien’s other arm from around her waist, she heard his breathing pattern change, and his eyelids fluttered open in the darkness.

“Everything alright?” Adrien asked groggily, his voice heavy from sleep.

“Perfectly fine,” Marinette assured him, sitting up and pushing aside the covers as she scooted away from him on the bed. “I’m just going to the bathroom.”

“M’kay…” Adrien sleepily responded, his eyelids falling shut again. Marinette couldn’t help her soft giggle when his breath immediately returned to the steady rhythm of sleep.

Her trip to the bathroom was a quick one, but as she stepped back into the bedroom, she tip-toed quietly to the hallway door and gently opened it to avoid waking up Adrien—either of them. Even if the guest room was on the other end of the hall, she didn’t want the past version of her husband knowing what she was doing.

“Grabbing a late night snack?”

Marinette nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice behind her, still too groggy to register that it was only Plagg. She’d slapped her hands over her mouth to avoid screaming, managing to stifle it into a strangled squeal despite her surprise.

“Plagg!” she hissed with a whisper, eyes shooting to the closed door down the hall that led to the guest room. “You shouldn’t be out here!”

“Relax,” Plagg drolled. “The kid’s sound asleep right now.”

“Wait, did you look!?” Marinette angrily demanded. “You know what will happen if he sees two of you, right?”

“I can just tell him I’m visiting if he catches me. It’s not like he could put it together that you’re actually Ladybug,” Plagg groaned, trailing after her as Marinette continued down the hall and eventually stopped near the middle. “Oh, you weren’t getting a snack?” Plagg whined, sounding disappointed.

“Not quite,” Marinette responded as she wrapped her fingers around the door handle. Her thumb felt out the small panel hidden beneath the knob, and she held it there for a moment until it emitted a gentle beep. From inside the door itself, there was a muted whirring noise, followed by a quiet click.

With the lock disengaged, she pushed open the heavy door, made of something much sturdier than the wood paneling that it was disguised as. When she entered the room beyond, Marinette squinted her eyes against the sudden light as she flipped a switch on the wall.

Locking the door behind her, Marinette stepped past shelves of decorative plants, books and other knick-knacks, making her way toward the center of the room where a wooden pedestal stood. She lifted her hand to press a small panel along the bottom, and a row of several tiny lights flashed to life, illuminating the red and black surface of the miracle box where it shimmered in the soft glow.

Plagg hovered over her shoulder and eyed it curiously with a frown. “What gives? All of the miraculous are active right now, aren’t they?”

“Not all of them,” Marinette said as she tapped one of the dark panels. Amidst the black, the symbol for the mouse flashed quickly before the door opened, and with a gentle flare of magic, Mullo popped into existence, hovering before her.

“Hello, guardian!” Mullo squeaked cheerily. “Is Mylène already back from vacation?”

“Sorry, Mullo, she’s still on holiday,” Marinette answered with a smile. “Instead, I need your help with something while she’s gone.”

“Hold on!” Plagg cried, zipping up in front of her face. “You’re not actually trading me out for the mouse, are you?”

“Plagg, you know I wouldn’t do that.” Marinette reached out and picked up the mouse necklace from inside the box, it’s form camouflaging the moment her fingers touched it. “If Félix tries anything again, I can turn into Multimouse, since Adrien thinks that’s who I am.” She lifted the miraculous to her neck and closed the clasp. “This way, he won’t be able to figure out the truth. It’s the safest option.”

“Safe!?” Plagg yelped. “Do I have to remind you how reckless it is to use multiple miraculous?”

“I’m not going to fuse them,” Marinette huffed impatiently, tapping the small medallion. “I’m just taking this so that Adrien— _both versions of him—_ will stop worrying so much. This way, I can transform and escape on my own, and they’ll know that I’m not in any danger.”

Plagg folded his arms and frowned, his gaze narrowing. “I still don’t like it. Just wearing two miraculous at once might hurt more than help.”

“It’s only you and Mullo,” Marinette sighed and pointed at him. “Need I remind _you_ that I wore more than this at one time when I was a kid? Two miraculous at once will be a cake walk!

“Yeah, but you weren’t pregnant back then,” Plagg grumbled, still frowning but looking a little more relaxed. “I may not have any experience with that, but it still doesn’t feel right. Are you really that determined to keep the kid from finding out? He’s already learned about everything else, what’s the big deal if he realizes that you’re Ladybug _now?”_

“Because I won’t let Chat Blanc happen again,” Marinette answered sternly. “I trust Adrien, but I don’t trust this messy time travel business. Alix has her hands full just keeping us safe, and even if Adrien manages to keep things under wrap in his own time period, we could have already changed his future, and maybe ours if things don’t go well.” She gently laid her hands over her stomach. “I don’t want any of us to lose this…”

Plagg stayed silent for a moment, his green eyes glowing at her in the soft light before he finally let out a sigh. “Fine.”

“Thank you, Plagg,” she chuckled softly, catching him in her cupped hands to pull him closer and give him a quick kiss against his forehead.

“Feh!” He swatted her away and frantically rubbed at his fur. “Not like you need my permission, _guardian,"_ he said in a playful tone before sticking his tongue out at her.

Marinette chuckled, moving to flip the switches off and lock up the room before exiting, and eventually make her way quietly back down the hall.

There were no lights on in the darkness of her home, but she could easily find her way by the faint glow reaching all the way from the study where the huge windows blocked out nothing of the view beyond their balcony. This kind of disturbance didn’t really matter in rooms where they didn’t sleep, and for their bedroom, they kept the glass tinted at night to keep out any glare.

So while bathed in the shadows, Marinette didn’t notice anything off until the hallway appeared to tilt in her vision, and a sudden feeling of dizziness washed over her. She flung her arms out in an attempt to steady herself right as her legs buckled beneath her, and Marinette stumbled into the wall.

“See! I wasn’t wrong!” Plagg zipped out in front of her, hovering next to a worried Mullo.

“Are you alright, Marinette?” Mullo asked, his wide eyes practically glowing from reflecting what little light there was.

“I just…” Marinette knelt against the floor, pressing a hand to her forehead as she squeezed her eyes shut. Counting slowly and taking easy, deep breaths, the lightheaded sensation eventually subsided, and when she opened her eyes, she found both kwami floating in front of her, concern contorting their features. “I’m fine. I just need to rest.”

She crouched there in the hallway for a minute more, listening to Plagg as he flitted restlessly above her, muttering something that she couldn’t make out. Using the wall for support, she eventually managed to stand and shuffled down the hall at a careful pace when the dizzy feeling didn’t return.

Meticulously cautious, Marinette finally made it into her bedroom and slipped beneath the covers. She tried to make as little movement as she could while snuggling up next to her husband, but as she settled in, his arm immediately curled around her waist to pull her closer.

“You okay?” Adrien mumbled sleepily into her hair, not even opening his eyes. “You were gone a while.”

Marinette sighed, tucking her head beneath his chin. “All good. I just had to take care of some pregnancy things.”

“Mmm,” Adrien grunted and said nothing more, already back asleep within a heartbeat. Despite how hot she’d felt earlier, she snuggled up against his chest and didn’t have any trouble following him back into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I did a bit of retconning. :D In greater detail, I've always had a slight issue with the part where Adrien is thinking about his feelings for Marinette, and honestly had no idea what I truly intended to do with that section. I just knew I wanted a moment of realization and feel good warm stuff, which is sort of accomplished? But at the same time it failed and has always been a little blemish in the back of my mind. Then as I edited my notes closer to the end, I realized I kind of messed up something I had in mind for a future chapter. SO, since it wasn't clear at all anyways, I have made it WAY MORE abundantly clear what I was going for with Adrien's feelings and realization. Originally it was sort of-kind of implied that he realizes Marinette's always had feelings for him? But it was not written very well and not clear. NOW it is him realizing that he's always loved her in a way.


	14. Multimouse

When Adrien woke up in an unfamiliar setting, he immediately leapt out of bed, thinking an akuma had somehow attacked overnight. For the second day in a row, he crouched atop the plush comforter in the serene quiet of the morning, his sleep-addled brain taking a moment to process where—or when—he was. The guest room wasn’t decorated with any personal effects that he could recognize; just a few tasteful paintings hanging on the walls to accompany the essential furnishings.

As he groggily recalled the previous day’s events, Adrien settled back against the bed with a sigh. Regardless of whether or not he had anywhere to be, it seemed impossible for him to sleep in. Deciding he might as well get up, Adrien threw off the covers and went through his usual wake-up routine, eventually nudging Plagg awake so his kwami could join him in the living room.

Stretching both arms above his head as he moved through the quiet hall, Adrien glanced towards the bedroom at the other end. A beam of early morning sunlight peeked through the gap in the open doorway, meaning that at least one other person was already awake. He guessed it was his future self, since his habit of waking up early didn’t appear to have changed over the years.

When Adrien turned into the living room and stepped toward the kitchen, he immediately froze, spotting Marinette slumped over the kitchen counter. With her eyes closed, a half-finished plate of toast and a still steaming mug sitting in front of her, it appeared that she had simply fallen asleep in the middle of breakfast.

Adrien’s heart skipped a fearful beat, his thoughts immediately jumping to the conclusion that this was _not_ a normal circumstance. Granted, back in his time the Marinette he knew was prone to sleeping in and ignoring her alarms, resulting in frequent tardiness, but for her to fall asleep at the table? Something seemed off.

“Marinette?” He scrambled over to her side and gently grabbed her arm, causing her to suddenly jolt awake.

“What!?” Her head whipped around in a panic, calming down only when her gaze settled on him. “Oh…” she groaned. “I fell asleep.”

“Was it really just that?” Adrien eyed her plate with a worried look. Unless her husband had made breakfast, he found it hard to believe that she’d woken up to fix food and fallen back asleep before finishing it. ”Or did you faint again?” he asked, brow furrowing in concern. 

“No! No, I didn’t faint.” She smiled at him reassuringly, propping her head up against her palm. “I had a rough night and woke up tired, and the fatigue isn’t helping. But since I’m at the end of the first trimester, hopefully it will ease up soon.”

“It could also be that Marinette is not a morning person,” a tiny voice added, and Adrien lowered his gaze in surprise. There, beside Marinette’s elbow, he spotted a small grey kwami with a wedge of cheese clutched in his paws.

“Breakfast!” At Plagg’s excited cry, Adrien instinctively reached out to try and grab his kwami before he caused a ruckus. Plagg simply dodged Adrien’s attempt at capturing him, however, and phased into a covered tray of cheese further down the counter.

“Are you… Mullo?” Adrien asked hesitantly, not knowing if it was rude to assume. While he had met a few kwami aside from his own, Mullo’s resemblance to an actual mouse was too obvious for him to be otherwise.

The kwami nodded happily. “Nice to meet you again, Adrien!”

“Oh—er, nice to meet you too, for the first time.” Adrien grinned, then turned a questioning look on Marinette. “But I thought you said—Wait!” He quickly realized what Mullo’s sudden appearance meant. “Does that mean Ladybug was here?”

Marinette chuckled as she reached up to her neck, brandishing the small medallion between her fingers. “Ladybug—or I should say Lady Noire—agreed that it was a good idea. With the enemy targeting me, it’s better to have the mouse miraculous handy, just in case.”

Adrien let out a relieved sigh at that, feeling a small weight lift from his shoulders. If Marinette did wind up in trouble, at least now she could transform and get to safety. “Where’s adult-me?” he asked curiously.

“He’s getting dressed, but he should be out soon.” Marinette scooted the stool back as if to stand. “Would you like some breakfast?”

“That’s okay, I can find it myself!” Adrien waved his hands wildly to try and get her to sit back down.

“Oh, you’re up?”

Adrien turned toward the familiar voice to find his future self shrugging a jacket over his shoulders as he strolled into the room. Tikki hovered just behind him with an unusual frown on her face. “Good. I wanted to talk with you before I—” Present Adrien’s words faded when his gaze landed on the kitchen counter. “Is that… Mullo? What’s he doing here?”

“Ah… About that,” Marinette started slowly, glancing back at Mullo and tapping her fingers together. “Lady Noire thought it would be a good idea for me to have the mouse miraculous.”

“Oh? _She_ did, did she?” Present Adrien’s expression narrowed into an odd look as he crossed his arms. “Is that what that ‘pregnancy thing’ was about last night?” It was obvious from his stance and the annoyance dripping in his tone—present Adrien was not happy.

“It was my idea!” Adrien nearly shouted, and his future self turned to direct his stern frown at him. Shrinking away from the obvious disapproval, Adrien quickly explained, “She doesn’t need to fight, but with Hawk Moth after her, Marinette can transform into Multimouse and escape.”

Present Adrien stood silently for a moment before rubbing his head and letting out a defeated-sounding sigh. “It _is_ a good idea, so I can’t really argue against it.” Though he appeared more at ease, there was still something tense in his expression. “And it’s just the _one miraculous,_ right?”

“That’s ridiculous! Why would I need more than one?” Marinette blurted, letting out a stuttering laugh that didn’t sound quite right. “I definitely won’t be fusing any,” she quickly added.

Tikki floated closer to the counter, still frowning. “Well, no offense, Mullo, but let’s hope that Marinette won’t find herself in a situation where she needs to rely on you.”

“None taken!” Mullo squeaked in reply.

“If we’re right about Foresight’s powers,” present Adrien began, pointing in Adrien’s direction. “Then she can’t accurately see the future with you here. While that doesn’t guarantee anything, at least Marinette will be safest in the apartment.” It looked like he wanted to say more, but a cell phone chimed in his pocket. Present Adrien dug it out and glanced at the screen with a curious look. “I don’t like the idea of leaving you two, but Alix wants to talk before I have that meeting with the studio.”

Marinette straightened up at that. “Does she have news about the time-line?”

“Possibly.” Present Adrien shrugged, returning the cell to his pocket. “I’ll fill you in if it’s not too sensitive to text, but she specifically mentioned that you need to stay here with mini-me.” He then turned toward Adrien, tilting his head slightly. “Think you can hold down the fort while I’m out?”

“Not a problem!” Adrien quickly called for Plagg, and a second later, stood before them in his suit, giving his older self a two-clawed salute. “If that Paon guy tries anything again, I’ll be ready for him.”

Present Adrien gave him a satisfied nod and then stepped up beside Marinette. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, leaning in to give her a gentle kiss. Adrien’s heart skipped a beat while he watched, his face quickly heating up when he realized he was staring. To give them some semblance of privacy, he fixed his gaze on the wall beside them.

“Don’t over do it,” present Adrien mumbled against her. “Unless we wrap up early, I shouldn’t be back before noon, so stay safe, _Mousinette.”_ He winked, and she giggled softly as he slowly released her. He eventually moved to the doorway, and with a final farewell, left them on their own.

“So.” Adrien turned to Marinette. “It just occurred to me that your husband might still be pretty famous as a model, right?” He glanced around with narrowed eyes. “Should we, uh... be worried that the villains might know where you live?”

“Thankfully, they have no idea,” Marinette answered, picking up her mug and taking a sip. “He might recognize the building if he follows the tabloids, but I doubt he could find our apartment without looking suspicious. Which reminds me...” She turned around on the stool and suddenly called out, “Francis!”

A small speaker set in the wall flashed blue around its rim before illuminating a section that pointed in their direction. The light must have been an indication that it was listening, because Marinette then asked, “Can you completely darken the living room windows?”

“Darkening living room windows,” the robotic voice answered.

Adrien watched in amazement as the sunlight faded, and the large floor to ceiling windows turned more opaque, a shadowy hue covering the view of the city, but not completely blocking it out.

“The future is so cool.” Adrien grinned as he sprinted toward the balcony and pressed his face to the glass.

“Francis can control anything electrical in the apartment as long as we program it in.” Marinette stood up and strolled closer, Mullo floating diligently over her shoulder. “With the windows tinted like that, no one will be able to look in and see us,” Marinette explained before turning a narrow gaze on the room. “Not that there’s much to look at.” She motioned at the nearby end table which, aside from the lamp sitting on it, was empty. “Mind helping me redecorate?”

Not really knowing what she meant, Adrien followed her out to the hall anyway. It wasn’t long before Marinette stopped at a new door and glanced back at him.

“Can you turn around?” Marinette asked. “It’s just storage, but there are still some things you can’t see.”

“Oh, uh, sure.” Adrien turned his back to her and listened quietly as she opened the door and stepped inside. He heard the flick of a light switch, and then the muffled sounds of movement beyond the doorway. Adrien rocked a bit and hummed a patient tune while he waited.

All of a sudden, Marinette’s shriek and Mullo’s startled squeak broke the quiet, and Adrien nearly jumped out of his suit when the door slammed shut with a bang. “Marinette!?” He spun around and lunged forward, claws stretching out for the handle, but Marinette’s voice through the door stopped him.

“I’m fine!” she yelped. He could hear shuffling from inside. “I just... tripped.”

“Are you okay?” Adrien’s claws hovered at the ready, wanting to jump in and help regardless of future spoilers or not.

Her voice devolved into quiet giggling. “The door, uh... broke my fall, so I’m okay. Are you still facing away?”

“Oh, yeah.” He quickly stepped back and reluctantly returned to staring at the wall, listening to the sounds of Marinette sliding something over the hardwood right behind him. Then the door clicked shut.

“Alright,” Marinette sighed. “It’s okay to look now.”

He turned to see a pair of boxes sitting on the floor with what looked like photo frames stacked up neatly inside.

“I figured since you know we’re married now, I might as well put these back up.” Marinette smiled, placing her hands on her hips.

“These are all photos?” Adrien asked, tempted to go through them, but he supposed he’d be able to look once they were all returned to their proper places in the apartment.

“And some things that my husband thought might have clued you in to me being your future wife.” Marinette waved at a few other objects nestled inside. Among the many items, Adrien picked out a spool of yarn and what looked like a set of crocheting tools. “But that’s not a secret anymore, so it doesn’t matter now.”

Marinette stooped to take up the larger of the two boxes, but before she could grab a hold of it, Adrien swooped in and snatched it up.

“I’ll do the heavy lifting,” he said, balancing the box easily on one hand. “You just tell me where it needs to go.”

Marinette sighed, but she didn’t argue, picking up the smaller box and directing him back out to the living room. They quickly fell into an easy rhythm. He would hold up a photo, Marinette would tell him where it went, and then he would stare at it, taking in every detail of the frozen moment in time before returning it to its original spot. None of them really gave him any details other than the fact that, in the future, they were just a normal, loving couple. He wasn’t surprised when there weren’t any photos with his father in them, but was delighted to find a few that included Marinette’s parents.

Distracted by every picture he came across, it was no wonder that Marinette emptied her box first and quickly joined Adrien to help him.

“Okay, but why _Carapace?”_ Adrien asked, lifting up a photo of his future self and Marinette attending a hero-themed halloween party. Marinette had understandably explained that they couldn’t dress up as themselves, so they had to get creative. “Not that there’s anything wrong with him, obviously,” he quickly added, holding the picture beneath his chin and pushing his bottom lip out in a pout. “But you could have gone dressed as _me.”_

Marinette laughed, probably from the overly exaggerated expression he was making. “And who would future-you go as? You couldn’t take a chance and dress as Chat Noir _or_ Ladybug, so I picked Carapace, and you went as Rena Rouge. Besides, your eyes wouldn’t pop well with all that green.”

Adrien turned the picture around and stared at it. “Aren’t Carapace’s eyes covered? You’re wearing goggles in this.”

Marinette waved her hand with a huff. “Details.”

They somehow managed to get through the rest of the frames, some hanging on the walls, while others were scattered around the tables and set up in a particular way according to Marinette’s taste. The only thing left in his box was a heavy, leather bound album.

“Where does this go?” Adrien lifted it in his claws and pointed at it, and when Marinette looked up from where Mullo was helping her arrange another set of frames, her eyes widened in surprise.

“Aah!” Marinette jumped to her feet and waved her hands wildly. “Don’t open that!”

Adrien froze, but he couldn’t stop his gaze from snapping back to the item in question. “Why?” he asked.

Marinette bit at her lip as she pondered over that a moment, her cheeks turning a curious shade of pink. “Because even if you know everything... you probably shouldn’t see the bride before the wedding.”

“Wedding?” Adrien blinked, then lowered his eyes to stare more intently at the book. Now he _really_ wanted to look inside.

The opportunity to do so faded when Marinette took it from him, though she paused and stared at it with a contemplative look and let out a soft hum, as if considering what she might be able to show him.

While she hesitated, Adrien’s gaze quickly flicked to her fingers to curiously peek at her wedding band. He had briefly glimpsed the one his older self wore and hadn’t seen hers at all, but as his eyes moved over her right hand, he caught sight of a different piece of jewelry altogether.

The rose gold ring drew his attention away from her wedding rings, its surface shimmering a delicate pink. He immediately thought it matched Marinette’s style, chuckling inwardly that it subtly complimented the color in Multimouse’s suit.

Three rings, the mouse miraculous and a pair of earrings. Marinette had quite the ensemble of—

 _Huh._ Adrien blinked when his gaze moved up to find her usual earrings missing. It was a tiny detail, but something about her appearance he’d just kind of noticed. When he thought about it, it didn’t seem odd that they were missing, since it _had_ been several years. For all he knew, she could have gotten rid of them some time ago.

 _Maybe she traded them out for the ring_ , he mused to himself. Marinette was stylish in her own way, so she might not have wanted to bog herself down with too many baubles.

“I’ll just stick it in my desk for now.” Marinette’s voice drew him out of his thoughts. “Speaking of which, can you help me with more heavy lifting?” She moved toward the steps and pointed upstairs. “My work space is on the second floor.”

Adrien followed her and Mullo up to a balcony level that overlooked the living room. It was one of the places in the apartment he hadn’t actually gone yet, even though he had seen glimpses of it due to the open floor plan. He’d avoided it mostly out of respect and to prevent accidental snooping, which might have been a good thing when they had tried keeping certain future aspects a secret.

Now that he was standing in the middle of what was essentially her office, Adrien could pick out the minute signs that told of Marinette’s presence that his future self wasn’t able to properly clean. They were hardly obvious, but with his sharp vision, he could see particles of thread and tiny scraps of fabric stuck in the lone rug covering the floor.

Marinette moved around the work desk and pointed behind it, and Adrien followed to find a fairly large sewing machine with all kinds of fancy knobs, dials and levers sitting on the floor. “My husband thought it might be a good idea to hide this before, but now that the secret’s out, it’s not a big deal if you see it.”

Lifting the machine was nothing, but he took his time to be extra careful, setting it up so that there was enough space left on the surface of the desk for Marinette to spread out her fabrics for large projects. While he was busy with that, she shuffled around behind him and arranged a few items back onto the bookshelves along the wall.

“Thanks, Adrien.” Marinette smiled when he’d finished his task. “I wasn’t sure if I should avoid any heavy lifting this early.”

“Best not to take a chance with the baby!” Mullo squeaked out.

“Speaking of the baby,” Adrien started, flicking away a stray scrap of thread that had hitched a ride from the sewing machine. “Have you picked out any names yet? That is, uh… If you can tell me.” He leaned against the desk and tapped a single claw against it. “Do you even know the gender?” he tried to ask nonchalantly, unable to help his curiosity.

Marinette frowned while she adjusted a photo on the shelf. “We don’t know the gender yet... Things were kind of hectic when we found out I was pregnant in the first place, so that was the last thing on our minds. But we’ve got a few names picked out either way.” She tilted her head with a curious expression. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to tell you.”

“Really?” Adrien jumped up, his cat ears practically standing straight.

Marinette giggled behind her hand and nodded. “Hugo or Louis for a boy, and Emma if it’s a girl.”

“Emma…” Adrien repeated airily, immediately focusing on that name. “Is that because it’s like... Emilie?”

Marinette smiled fondly and wove her fingers together over her stomach. “It’s just a coincidence that I wanted a name so similar to your mother’s... but I guess that’s why you like it so much—older you, that is.”

“It’s perfect,” Adrien breathed.

“If it’s a girl,” Marinette added with a wink. “For all we know I could have nothing but boys.”

Adrien hummed absentmindedly at that. Honestly, he didn’t mind either, but just to have that memory for his mother… He secretly hoped that there would be at least one girl to inherit such a perfect name.

“Would it, uh… be rude of me to ask about the surprise of it all?” Adrien asked carefully. “You mentioned that you didn’t plan on having a baby this soon…” He tilted his head when she didn’t interrupt him. “So what happened?”

Marinette folded her arms and frowned, and without any hesitation answered, _“Plagg_ happened.”

Adrien blinked at her, his brain taking a second to process what she meant before he burst out laughing. He quickly tried to control it, as Marinette might not have thought it was so funny, even if it had resulted in a happy, ill-timed occasion. “Plagg…” he managed to wheeze out between his laughter. “H-how?”

“I _was_ on birth control,” Marinette started, the annoyance in her tone fairly obvious. “And while there’s always a chance that preventatives can fail, some _mischievous little kwami_ messed with my pills and didn’t tell anyone. So when I thought I had already taken it, in reality, Plagg misplaced it.” She dropped her forehead onto her open palm and shook her head. “And that’s all it took.”

“So it’s all Plagg’s fault.” Adrien couldn’t help the wide grin plastered on his face.

“It’s all Plagg’s fault,” Marinette echoed as she lifted her gaze. “And he had the nerve to give me a list of name suggestions,” she scoffed.

“Let me guess,” Adrien said. “All _cheesy_ ones?”

“Close,” Marinette huffed. “I can tell you one thing, if I have a daughter, there is _no way_ I’m naming her _Brie-_ anna.” Adrien tried to stifle his snickering behind his claws when Marinette quickly clapped her hands together. “Anyway, now that you’ve helped me get the apartment somewhat back in order, we can relax.” She tilted her head, a mischievous look replacing her irritation. “What do you say to a game of Mecha Strike?”

Adrien jumped up and immediately shouted, “Absolutely!”

It was almost little like a twisted sense of déjà vu when Marinette booted up the game, because she promptly started kicking his tail with a skill that could only have been developed in her years of gaming. How he ever thought he might have stood a chance against her now... If the Marinette from his time was considered an expert, then _this_ Marinette was a master that had reached max level and evolved into her final form.

“I should have known I wouldn’t be able to beat you,” Adrien sighed as he lowered his controller, the screen once again declaring Marinette the winner. Her mech barely even lost any HP during the entirety of the three rounds. At one point, she even beat him with full health.

“Well, I do have several years of experience over you.” Marinette grinned playfully.

“Does future-me ever get to your level of skill?” Adrien asked.

“Maybe not up to my level, but he does manage to squeeze in a few wins every now and then,” she answered as she set her controller down on the coffee table and stood up. “We can keep going if you want, but right now I—uhm… bathroom.” She shyly pointed in the direction of the hallway.

Adrien leaned back on the couch and put his feet up while Marinette scampered out of the room, Mullo dutifully following after her to keep close by. While Adrien lounged against the cushions, he kept his senses on full alert. With his enhanced hearing, he could keep an ear out for Marinette in the bathroom, focusing on the surrounding area and making sure that nothing approached her.

Near the entrance and outside of the apartment, he caught the soft shuffle of footsteps in the hall, and Adrien tensed. Then the lock clicked softly, and he relaxed only a hair, because whoever was at the door had a key.

Regardless of friend or foe, Adrien stared at the doorway, muscles tense in preparation to spring into action at a moment’s notice. All of that tension faded, however, when his future self strolled in through the doorway.

Adrien glanced at the TV screen, which, with the game paused, displayed the console’s clock and gave the current time. Present Adrien had mentioned that he wouldn’t get back until after twelve, but it was barely past ten o’clock. “Meeting end early?” he called out.

Present Adrien froze in the doorway, an odd look flickering across his face when he turned in Adrien’s direction before his features smoothed out. Though it happened so quickly, Adrien wasn’t certain what he had witnessed. “Yes. We got out sooner than expected.” His eyes carefully scanned the living room. “Where’s Marinette?”

“Still safe.” Adrien grinned, lacing his claws together behind his head. “She just stepped out to the bathroom for a minute.”

“Ah, good.” Present Adrien closed the door behind him and moved past the couch.

At that moment, Marinette walked out of the hallway and spotted her husband, stopping in her tracks with a confused look. “Adrien...?”

Something in the atmosphere immediately changed, and Adrien could see Marinette’s expression shift. In an instant, present Adrien closed the distance with a few long strides and reached out for her, but Marinette quickly jerked away. “Chat Noir!” she shrieked. “That’s not Adrien!”

Adrien bolted up from the couch as her words registered in his brain, and he leapt over the carpet with his claws extended, expecting a sentimonster like the Ladybug-clone that had once fooled him. The look-alike nimbly rolled out of the way, his face contorting in fury as he cried out, “Duusu!”

Adrien landed and spun around, his mouth falling open in a stunned grimace, and his wide eyes frozen in place as he stared at the person he had assumed was nothing but a clone. Whatever—or _who_ ever they were—transformed in a flash of light, the clothes identical to the ones his future self wore dispersing like a spray of mist; nothing more than an illusion created by some form of trickery.

Shocked by the implications, Adrien managed to quickly regain his composure when the man sprinted after Marinette, who had thankfully already escaped back into the hallway.

His heart pounding, Adrien grit his teeth as he hurled his baton toward the entrance of the hallway where it bounced off the wall and instantly expanded inside the frame, locking in place to create a horizontal bar across the opening. The man had no time to avoid it, and comically hit it at waist level, spinning to the floor with a crash.

While the enemy was stunned, Adrien leaped, his claws fully extended, only to be stopped when they connected with the fan the man brought up to shield himself.

He couldn’t believe it. It was… Unimaginable! Despicable! Even though he had witnessed it with his own eyes.

A sentimonster couldn’t possibly use the very miraculous that had brought it to life to transform, could it? No, that wasn’t it. It wouldn’t have needed an illusion to disguise its clothing. There was only one way a look-alike of his future self had managed to waltz into the apartment, and Adrien knew this because that same individual had imitated him like that once before.

 _Félix._ Adrien’s mind seethed in a silent fury. _Félix has the peacock miraculous? And he’s using it for Hawk Moth. But why? How!?_

He tried not to let it distract him, but the thoughts relentlessly hounded him, even as the future version of his own cousin threw merciless punches his way. Adrien had to keep his head in the fight. He couldn’t mess up here. Marinette’s safety was on the line!

His attention torn, Adrien found himself without any of his usual quips as he simply tried his best to keep his cousin from reaching Marinette. _Félix_ was trying to steal her away for one of Hawk Moth’s nefarious schemes. _Félix_ had hurt her and very nearly taken out _his future child._

A fresh wave of fury rolled through him at that particular thought, and he lurched forward with a growl, slashing his claws wildly through the air. Despite his sudden onslaught, Félix swung his fist out and managed to catch Adrien in the chest, slamming all his weight into it and throwing him back into the coffee table. The glass beneath Adrien shattered, grinding against his suit as his limbs draped over the sides of the frame.

“How do you keep getting in the way?” Félix snarled as he plucked a feather from his fan.

Whatever his plan, Félix didn’t get a chance to initiate it, because at that moment, the balcony door flew open with a sudden bang.

Gingerly lifting his body out of the dented frame of the broken table, Adrien looked up to see Marinette, clad in her Multimouse suit, whip her weapon across the room and lasso Félix’s wrist. Before his cousin could react, she pulled the rope in an arc and flung him into the nearest wall with a crash.

When Marinette jogged closer and helped him to his feet, all he could think to say was, “Félix… _He_ has the miraculous? How?”

“It’s a long story,” Marinette said with an understanding gaze and squeezed his hand. “Right now, we need to focus on the fight.”

“Right, right,” Adrien mumbled softly before blinking in confusion, as if seeing her for the first time. “Wait! Not you!” He pointed a claw at her and shouted, _“You_ need to get out of here!”

“Tch...” Félix’s groan pulled their attention back to him as he rolled into a crouch. “Is this really all the heroes have to throw at me? A tiny kitten and a filthy _rat.”_

“Excuse me!?” Marinette twirled her whip, spinning it above their heads with a crack before lashing out and coiling around Félix’s waist. He managed to grab a hold of it, but that didn’t stop Marinette from flinging him through the air and right out onto the balcony. She slammed him into the railing where a planter balanced, and Marinette winced when the ceramic exploded into tiny shards of dirt and rose petals.

“Look at the mess you’re making!” Marinette yelled. Adrien wasn’t certain if she was chastising his cousin or herself, but he jolted in a panic when Marinette suddenly leapt after Félix without any restraint or hesitation.

“Wait, Ma—Multimouse!?” He quickly sprinted back to the hallway to retrieve his baton before scrambling out onto the balcony. Marinette was already in the thick of the fray, dancing backwards and dodging while Félix pressed forward, swinging his fan in quick slashing arcs.

Adrien’s nerves jittered in agitation, like a million tiny sparks traveling across his skin. _Now_ he understood present Adrien’s cause for concern. No wonder he seemed so on edge about the idea of Marinette transforming if this was how she normally behaved when she was in hero-mode!

Raising his baton over his head, Adrien extended it in the same instant that he swung, slamming it down between Marinette and Félix with a metallic clang against the railing. Félix immediately jumped backwards, shooting Adrien a sneer before leaping over the balcony and disappearing from view.

“Well, that was easy,” Adrien said as he ran to the edge and peered over it, watching Félix land nimbly on the slanted rooftop of a lower building.

“I don’t think so.” Marinette stepped up beside him, panting rather heavily. “He’s trying to create a sentimonster!”

“Oh, right,” Adrien groaned, wrinkling his nose while jumping onto the railing. “You stay here and call for backup!” he said to her as he brought his baton forward, extended it, and hopped off the balcony to vault after Félix.

The rushing wind pushed his hair away from his face as he catapulted to the adjacent roof, carefully landing on the tiled surface to ensure that he didn’t slip and make matters worse. Félix stood a few feet above with his back turned to him.

“—yes, it’s only two of them. A sentimonster should take them out.” Adrien paused as it appeared as though Félix was talking to himself, but he knew better. He tilted carefully to the side and managed to catch a glimpse of the glowing outline of a mask before Félix let out a soft bark of mock laughter. “Fine. Whatever you say, _Farfalla.”_

 _Farfalla?_ Adrien repeated the unfamiliar name in his head before he suddenly straightened up in shock. _Wait._ **Not** _Hawk Moth!?_

While he was distracted by that shocking discovery, Félix obviously noticed him, because in the blink of an eye, he appeared beside him on the roof and swept his fan out toward him. Adrien, though taken by surprise, nimbly ducked and darted away.

“All of this trouble just to kidnap Marinette?” Adrien huffed, raising his baton and twirling it threateningly. “What do you even want with her?”

“How are you evading Foresight’s powers?” Félix countered, ignoring his own questions.

“Cats are slippery like that.” Adrien shrugged, getting back into the feel of his usual quips during a fight. Though there was a tiny, distracted part of his mind as it tried to ignore the fact that this was _his cousin_ he was facing. Family or not, years had passed from his current time-line. All he needed to know was that this man before him was a threat to Marinette’s safety.

Félix was never one for long conversations, because he suddenly darted forward, sending a swift kick aimed at Adrien’s head. Adrien ducked beneath the first swing, but the second one came as a surprise when Félix followed through in a roundhouse spin, slamming Adrien right in the stomach. Though his suit protected him, Félix’s own enhanced super-strength put the enchanted material to the ultimate test, one that it failed when Adrien nearly collapsed from the hit to his gut as the breath was knocked out of him.

The force tossed him backwards, and Adrien tumbled over the edge of the tiles. Luckily, he only fell a short distance, landing heavily on the flat surface of another rooftop. Adrien tried to right himself, but the world spun, filling his vision with white-brick chimneys and orange pipes.

While Adrien fumbled to reorient himself, Félix jumped down after him, but he didn’t make it far. A pink rope cracked against the roof between them, and Félix stumbled to a halt, turning and sprinting away when Marinette leaped down into Adrien’s line of sight.

“Chat!” Marinette barked out, sending one end of her weapon his way.

Marinette had a plan, and through his haze, Adrien managed to figure it out with only a simple look. Catching the rope in his claws, he immediately followed her lead, dashing past Félix in a wide arc. The weapon tangled around his legs in a spectacular move, because when Marinette pulled her end taut, Félix crashed to the roof, his fan skittering over the stone as it popped right out of his hands.

Adrien felt a glowing warmth in his core, a sense of pride that the pair of them worked in such tandem with one another. Their moves were already so in sync—probably because she was used to fighting as a team with his future self. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say it was just as fine-tuned as his partnership with Ladybug.

A sudden clatter against the roof caused his cat ears to straighten to their full height, and he turned in Marinette’s direction to see what had happened, surprised to find her weapon sprawled on the ground. A cold chill washed through him when he noticed she was holding her head, her legs sagging as if she were having trouble keeping herself upright.

And then she stumbled. Adrien immediately flew to her side, catching her wrist before she could completely collapse against the concrete. He stopped her from falling, but Marinette still dropped to her knees, one hand pressed against the roof, while the other clutched at his arm for support.

Any possible strategy was lost to the thoughts of panic racing through his mind, his eyes desperately searching for where she’d been hit. _When_ had she been hit at all? He didn’t remember Félix making contact… And shouldn’t the suits be able to protect them better than this? He’d taken a beating, but he’d been able to recover pretty quickly...

“Multimouse?” Adrien yelped, his focus entirely on her. A grave mistake, he realized all too late, because he had forgotten about the foe before them.

Félix appeared in a corner of his vision, and Adrien shifted in an attempt to dodge, but Félix’s fist caught him in the throat and launched him back across the roof, landing a dangerous distance away from Marinette’s side. Ignoring the dull ache in his neck, Adrien scrambled to his feet, and then suddenly froze as a familiar beeping noise reached his ears.

And it was coming from... from Marinette…?

Adrien’s eyes widened as he stared at her miraculous, watching in stunned shock when one of the small mouse prints flickered and disappeared.

“Is this seriously happening?” Félix growled, sounding affronted as he loomed menacingly over Marinette’s crumpled form. “You’re nothing but children who can’t even keep up your transformations!?”

Marinette’s own expression mirrored Adrien’s surprise and confusion, which suggested that her miraculous’ early countdown was not a normal situation. She tried to crawl away, but with Félix standing right there, he had no trouble reaching down and grabbing her by the neck.

“NO!!!” Adrien shouted as he dove after them, brought to a halt when Félix swung his leg out and slammed it into his still-aching stomach. While the suit took the brunt of the blow, Adrien still felt the air leave his lungs as he crashed against the cement with a groan.

He was only on the ground for a second, pain reeling through him, when he heard Marinette’s strangled cry, and a second wind of determination willed him to move. Claws biting into stone, he fought against the shock and stumbled to his feet, his mouth contorted in a silent snarl as he met the sight of Félix choking Marinette in a headlock. Through it all, her miraculous let out another shrill beep, faster than any had ever counted down before.

Time often flew by in a fight against an enemy, but this was ridiculous! What was even going on!? Marinette hadn’t used her power, as far as he knew... And besides that, she was an adult! She was strong enough to keep her kwami charged without needing to refuel!

Adrien grit his teeth, spinning his baton as he tensed every muscle in his body in preparation to spring and free her from Félix’s grasp before it was too late—but he froze. To his horror, he had already run out of time. Marinette’s miraculous immediately beeped again, the frantic, high-pitched warning of the final signal.

“Let’s see who’s beneath the mouse, shall we?” Félix hissed right when the mouse’s symbol faded to black. Marinette’s eyelids fluttered shut, and her hands fell limply to her sides, the pink light washing over her as her transformation dropped right there in the enemy’s clutches.

Félix’s expression widened in surprise a split second before a sinister smile broke across his face. In an instant, he slid his arms beneath Marinette to scoop her up and lift her unconscious body.

Adrien darted forward, his heart pounding as a wave of sickening terror sped through him. _Not her!_ **_Not her!_ ** **_“_** ** _ **N** OT HER!”_ **The scream ripped from his throat as he moved faster than he ever had in his life, reaching his claws out, as if he could grab a hold of her over the distance, while Félix slipped further and further away.

If he couldn’t catch up, then Marinette was lost. Her identity was already gone. She would never be safe.

Félix launched himself over the lip of the roof, and Adrien’s heart froze as time seemed to slow down. Every heartbeat pounded in his ears like a heavy drum.

He was vaguely aware when a shout split the air behind him, and with it, Adrien’s vision erupted into white.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have nothing to say to this other than... Dun dun DUNNNNNN!!!
> 
> Although you might have noticed the story now has a total chapter count added on. Yes! I finally have all the rough drafts/summaries done up for each remaining chapter. We're nearing the end. Unless I wind up splitting a chapter that might get too long, 18 is the final count for this story.
> 
> Also, on an unrelated-related note, I found out my parents had a hamster when they were first married and had no kids or other pets yet, and I immediately thought of Adrien and Marinette. That hamster was their PRECIOUS BABU.


	15. Ladybug

Adrien could immediately tell that something was seriously off.

One moment, he was jumping after Félix over the roof—the next, a solid fist slammed into his chest and hurled him backwards through the air. With a hard thump, he crashed against a surface that shattered into thousands of tiny shards beneath him.

“Ugh… What?” Through a hazy cloud of pain and confusion, Adrien rubbed his eyes and blearily blinked up at a white ceiling that looked suspiciously like the one in Marinette’s apartment.

 _Marinette!_ Adrien’s brain screamed as he flopped onto his side. His claws scrabbled over wickedly sharp fragments of broken glass, eventually grabbing the dented table frame to help get himself back to his feet.

“How do you keep getting in the way?” he heard an angry voice snarl, giving Adrien a very weird sense of déjà vu when he lifted his gaze to find Féilx standing before him, no Marinette in sight.

 _Hang on…_ Adrien’s eyes swiveled to take in the spacious living room with its plush couch and neat little end tables… He even spied the photo frames that he had helped Marinette set out. _I’m back in the apartment?_

Then the balcony door flew open, and Adrien whipped his head around right as Marinette burst inside; somehow still transformed and _not_ caught in Félix’s grasp.

Which meant that... time had somehow reset?

 _Oh!_ It suddenly clicked in his head, and he realized he recognized the blinding sensation from before. _That was Second Chance!_

But he didn’t remember seeing anyone with the snake miraculous, let alone knowing if they had even used their power. Or did he? He _had_ been rather preoccupied with trying to chase after Félix before he could escape with Marinette. It cleared up a bit of the mystery, but it still didn’t explain how Adrien could remember everything if he wasn’t the one using its power.

“Look at the mess you’re making!”

 _Whoops._ Lost in his own thoughts, time was obviously not going to wait for him to figure things out. He grabbed his baton from the hallway and scrambled after Marinette onto the balcony, where she had already tossed Félix. Just like the first time, he found them grappling with one another, and to separate them, he simply repeated his actions from before. Félix jumped back from his weapon as it slammed against the railing, then shot Adrien a mocking sneer and quickly leapt off the building, disappearing from view.

Adrien joined Marinette at the edge, but he had no interest in following after his cousin. His gaze swept over the surrounding rooftops instead. If the snake’s user was somewhere nearby, surely he could spot them from up here?

“He’s trying to create a sentimonster!”

 _Or not._ Adrien sulked. Regardless of his involvement, events just seemed to be repeating themselves, and Marinette didn’t appear to remember anything at all.

What would be the best choice of action? Going after Félix would probably end up the same as before, unless the snake user already had a plan for their second run. But where _were_ they? And did they know that Adrien remembered everything that had happened?

While he was trying to come up with a strategy, Marinette must have thought he was hesitating, because the next thing he knew, she had swung over the railing to chase Félix.

“Aah! Wait!” Adrien belatedly tried to reach out to her, then cursed and whipped his baton over the balcony to vault after Marinette. “Don’t fight him!”

Marinette landed gracefully on the slanted roof, shooting Adrien a confused look before Félix took a swing at her and stole all of her attention. With Marinette fighting against Félix, it appeared as though things fell right back into the same flow as before.

Adrien _tried_ to separate the two of them and get Félix to concentrate on him, but he was swiftly kicked over the edge and onto a flat rooftop below, groaning in pain and irritation from the fruitlessness of it all. Marinette was close to danger _again_ and there was still no sign of any other heroes.

Back in the same position as last time and knowing that everything was most likely doomed to failure anyway, he didn’t like the idea that suddenly presented itself in his mind. Adrien still helped Marinette to knock Félix to the ground, but once her miraculous started beeping desperately, it hurt everything in him to turn his back on her. While Félix focused on Marinette, Adrien lifted himself high into the air with his baton, balancing carefully while he tried to locate the snake’s user.

He grit his teeth at Marinette’s strangled cry, eyes sweeping quickly over the city for that little sign of hope to appear. Where… where… _where were they?_

 _There!_ Adrien’s heart seemed to summersault against his chest when he finally caught sight of a green-clad figure in the distance. The familiar form dashed frantically over the rooftops of Paris, charging right in their direction.

He wasn’t very far now, but whoever it was definitely wouldn’t make it in time to help save Marinette. Her transformation had already dropped, and Félix was making a run for it.

The hero drew closer, and Adrien waved wildly to get his attention. He watched when the person he now recognized as Viperion jumped down from a chimney two buildings over. For a split second, their eyes met, and Adrien caught a glimpse of surprise before his attention shot past him to see Marinette unconscious in Félix’s arms.

“SECOND CHANCE!!!”

A flash of white blinded Adrien’s vision once again, and he immediately found himself back in the apartment.

Adrien remembered that it was going to happen. He _really_ should have expected it. But that troublesome power brought him back to the past a split second too late to properly react. Right as his brain was able to register that time had reset, Félix’s fist smashed him backwards into the living room table.

 _Back in the apartment,_ Adrien enthusiastically groaned to himself. _Great._

At least Marinette was safe again, and this time he wouldn’t fail to protect her.

Shaking off the flecks of glass, Adrien determinedly pushed past the pain and shot to his feet, ignoring Félix entirely and darting toward the balcony. This time, he threw the door open himself, running right into a very surprised Marinette already suited up for the fight. She skidded to a halt, and before she could say anything, he scooped her up and jumped out over the railing.

“Wha—Chat Noir!” she shrieked in surprise, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and digging her fingers into his suit. “What are you doing!?”

“This is the third time Viperion has used Second Chance!” Adrien explained as he pulled out his baton to catch their fall and vault onto the adjacent rooftop. “And for some reason I can remember everything that’s happened!” He landed against the tiles as gently as possible, slipping slightly with Marinette’s added weight. “You’re in danger, so I’m getting you out of here!”

“Fleeing like the coward you are!” Félix’s voice rang out as he leapt off of the balcony in pursuit.

Adrien growled, quickly sprinting around a line of chimney stacks in an attempt to lose him. _Of course_ Félix would give chase when he was trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

Adrien sped on regardless, ignoring the villain behind him. They didn’t have much time before Marinette’s miraculous timed out and revealed her identity. In fact, they probably had _less_ than the usual five minute countdown considering how quickly it had dropped before. Something was _definitely_ wrong with her powers.

In the distance, Adrien spotted the familiar figure leaping over the buildings towards them. “Viperion!” he shouted.

As Adrien drew closer, Luka jumped a gap in the rooftops to meet them. “I thought something was up. Do you remember all of this?” he asked.

“Everything,” Adrien answered quickly. “If you can take care of Paon, I’ll get Multimouse to a safe spot.”

Luka nodded determinedly, not questioning him any further. He was probably leaving that for later once they were all safe. While Luka darted the way they had come, Adrien bolted in the opposite direction, not wanting to stick around since Marinette’s miraculous began to beep in warning.

One of her hands flew to her neck, grasping the medallion in surprise. “W-what’s going on!?” she yelled in a panic.

“We’ll figure that out in a minute,” Adrien grunted, carrying her over a rooftop and carefully sliding down the other side. His priority was getting Marinette out of sight before her transformation dropped, keeping his senses alert to anything that might follow them. While he trusted Luka to keep Félix occupied, he wouldn’t put it past his cousin to send a sentimonster after them. But apart from the usual bustle of sound reaching up from the streets below, nothing appeared to be chasing them. Once Adrien was certain they were at a safe distance and out of sight, he dropped down into a shaded alley. Tiny ferns decorated the ground where they stuck up between the paving stones of the sidewalk, far from any of the busy Paris avenues and safely hidden from prying eyes.

“Now can you explain what’s going on?” Marinette huffed faintly as her miraculous let out another shrill beep. Her voice sounded strained, possibly already fighting to keep herself conscious even though her wide gaze seemed frantic as it darted to her necklace.

“I’m not very clear on it myself,” Adrien answered softly, concern contorting his expression. “But I think something’s wrong with your miraculous.” He set Marinette down on the path as gently as he could, but he had to quickly catch her again when her knees buckled beneath her.

“I… I don’t...” Marinette’s voice shook, her eyes appearing to unfocus before they fluttered shut and her full weight bore down on him as her body went limp.

Adrien grasped her shoulders gently, dropping with her to catch her fall and cushion the blow. Her head flopped forward as a glow flashed over her, and he carefully adjusted her so that Marinette could rest easily against him.

Mullo appeared in the swirl of pink light, flopping to the ground in front of them with his eyes squeezed shut.

“Mullo, what’s wrong?” Adrien tried to keep his voice calm, but he couldn’t help the slight tone of panic from creeping through. “Why did Marinette’s transformation drop so quickly?” he asked.

“Two miraculous!” Mullo moaned, not appearing to have heard him. “Plagg was right! He told her it would be dangerous!”

“‘Plagg?’” Adrien repeated in confusion, causing Mullo to jump onto his paws and let out a shrill squeak. Adrien continued despite the interruption, “And what do you mean by ‘two miraculous?’”

“Umm…” Mullo fidgeted uneasily, his large eyes flicking between Adrien and Marinette.

“Two miraculous...” Adrien mumbled, a contemplative gaze moving to the one around her neck. “Marinette has two?” Something about that stirred up a scandalous thought in the back of his mind.

Adrien’s eyes flitted down to her wedding rings, then darted to her empty earlobes. She had _always_ worn those earrings before, hadn’t she? But now… He then focused on her right hand where it rested over her stomach. The pink ring around her finger stood out, almost like a beacon despite the shadows of the alleyway.

Present Adrien’s words from that morning played back in his head. _‘And it’s just the_ one miraculous, _right?’_

Why would he need to be concerned about Ladybug giving Marinette more than one? At the time, Adrien figured it had to do with her early feats from facing Kwami Buster as Multimouse, but could it have been something more?

Adrien stared at the ring in wonder while Mullo fidgeted uncomfortably on the ground. He heard the kwami stammering out a nervous string of words, but they didn’t register. His mind was too busy racing with a whirlwind of ideas.

Was it possible? Did Marinette have a deeper secret than her identity as Multimouse? _That’s why they swapped…_ His heart skipped several nervous beats.

“Ladybug isn’t sick… _Is_ she...?” he breathed softly, voice barely above a hope-filled whisper.

“Oh—oh dear—oh my, oh no…” Mullo squeaked, the reason for his dismay becoming all the more clear.

Without much thought, Adrien found his claws reaching out toward Marinette’s ring, prepared to slide it off, unable to fight his curiosity any longer.

“Really, kid?”

At the sound of a familiar, nasally voice, Adrien snapped his hand back. He whipped his head to the side and instantly caught sight of the kwami that flew out from a hiding spot somewhere behind him. “At least go for the mouse, since it’s _his_ fault you figured it out,” Plagg scoffed.

“Plagg,” Adrien marveled quietly, staring at the future version of his kwami with wide eyes. There wasn’t any difference in his appearance, since kwami didn’t age, but it was obvious this wasn’t _his_ Plagg. Adrien’s gaze quickly dropped back down to Marinette, a warmth filling his core as he took her in. “Then… Ladybug really is…”

“Yea, yea,” Plagg grumbled. “Sheesh. And I can’t even enjoy the irony that the _mouse_ is the one who let the cat out of the bag this time.” He shot a glare at the other kwami, who hid his face in shame.

“Marinette will be so upset!” Mullo wailed.

Adrien’s ears twitched at that moment, catching the faint sound of Luka calling out to him some distance away. If he was searching for them, then it was a good sign that he had probably taken care of Félix.

“Plagg,” Adrien started, getting his Kwami’s attention. “Can you see if it’s safe and lead Viperion back here? We probably need to get Marinette to a hospital.”

Plagg promptly nodded and zipped away while Adrien adjusted Marinette’s body more comfortably against him, his worry growing as he peered down at her face. It looked as if she was simply sleeping, but the circumstances leading up to her condition made him all the more concerned.

“You should remove the miraculous,” Mullo suggested as he hovered into view, restlessly wringing his paws together. “Wielding two at one time is most likely the reason she fainted. I would do it myself, but kwami are incapable of doing so.”

“Right.” Adrien carefully shifted Marinette’s position so that he could keep a hold of her while slipping his other hand behind her neck. He found the latch easily enough, but fiddled with it for a moment before managing to unlock it. “Thanks, Mullo,” he said as he slid the necklace away.

Mullo had enough time to lean forward in a quick bow, then simply disappeared once the miraculous’ contact was broken. Adrien stared at the necklace for a moment and eventually decided to zip it up into one of his pockets.

“Coast is clear!” Adrien heard Plagg announce shortly before his kwami flew back into the alley, followed by a nearby thump when Luka, still transformed, landed right across from him.

Luka immediately kneeled against the cobblestone path on the other side of Marinette. He leaned closer with a worried expression knitting his brow, his hands hovering hesitantly over her limp body as he asked, “What happened to her?”

“Mullo said it was because she was wearing two miraculous.” Adrien tightened his grip and shifted her a bit so that he wouldn’t drop her when he carefully stood. “Is Félix gone? Because I really think we should get Marinette to a hospital,” he stressed.

Luka nodded with a grim frown. “Your cousin lost interest once he realized we weren’t going to give her up. Also, dealing with a guy that can turn back time at a moment’s notice? I don’t think he liked the odds.” Luka’s eyes then flicked between Adrien and Plagg. “So you found out, huh?” he noted.

“Mullo spilled the beans,” Plagg confirmed with a nod and crossed his arms.

Luka pointed at Adrien and said, “I’m not surprised, to be honest. The fact of the matter is, the longer you stay here, the more you’re going to learn about your future.”

Marinette let out a groggy moan at that moment, stirring gently in Adrien’s arms while her eyelids fluttered open and she squinted up at them. “What happened?” she asked blearily, shifting her legs as she attempted to stand.

“Woah!” Luka laid his hand against her shoulder and stopped her. “You shouldn’t move after fainting like that.”

“I fainted _again?”_ Marinette whined incredulously before flopping her head back against Adrien’s shoulder and groaning. He had been holding her for a while now, but the fact that she had done that on her own set his heartbeat into a frantic rhythm that he really, _really_ hoped she didn’t notice. _His lady_ was leaning against him so intimately, probably because she was used to… _to this._

“You overdid it!” Plagg exclaimed as he flitted angrily above her head. “Didn’t I warn you that wearing two miraculous _while you're pregnant_ would be a catastrophe!? With you flip-flopping all over the place, it should have been obvious something like this would happen! But did you listen? Nooooo!”

Marinette stared up at Plagg during his entire rant before her eyes widened and darted to Adrien. Her mouth dropped open, but only soft, incoherent noises escaped before finally forming into a high-pitched, “Eeep!”

Adrien couldn’t help the mischievous grin that spread across his face, and he didn’t even _try_ to restrain himself as he leaned closer and purred, “Hello, Bugaboo.”

Marinette let out a startled shriek, and with unexpected strength, abruptly shoved him backwards. Adrien lost his balance and stumbled, an alarmed yelp escaping him when Marinette slipped from his arms. Luckily, Luka dove forward and caught her before she could hit the ground. 

“This isn’t a game!” Marinette shouted as Luka helped her to her feet. Adrien reached out to offer his own assistance, but froze when she turned to face him. She wasn’t angry, _oh no,_ but her distraught expression and eyes glistening wetly with tears was a sight that wrenched Adrien’s heart and stopped him in his tracks. “You _can’t_ know,” she sobbed.

“Alright, alright, easy,” Luka comforted Marinette gently while patting her shoulder. “You’re over stressing yourself. Just relax and take a deep breath.”

“Right,” Marinette mumbled and nodded slowly. Following Luka’s suggestion, she covered her eyes and quieted down, her chest rising and falling in a few slow, easy breaths. After letting the last out as a lengthy sigh, she lowered her hand, appearing a bit calmer.

“How do you feel?” Luka asked softly.

“Honestly?” Marinette massaged her forehead and leaned back against the brick wall of the alley. “I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

Luka exchanged a worried glance with Adrien and started, “Then we should probably take you to—”

“Luka,” Marinette abruptly interrupted with a serious tone, shooting Luka a very stern frown. “If you suggest I go to the hospital, I’m going to scream.”

“Wait…” Adrien balked and gave her an incredulous look. “Does that mean you’re not going?”

“I don’t think I need another examination,” Marinette answered with a quick shake of her head.

“But you fainted again!” Adrien exclaimed. “And you just said you’re not feeling well.”

“My stomach’s a little queasy, but it’s getting better,” Marinette mumbled, letting out a quiet sigh. “I don’t think a trip to the hospital will be necessary this time. If it was a normal situation, I’d be more concerned, but so far almost everything that’s happened has been miraculous related.” She lifted her head suddenly, patting the area right below her neck as her eyes widened. “Where’s Mullo?” she asked, her voice pitched slightly in panic.

“Don’t worry!” Adrien quickly fished the mouse miraculous out of his pocket and dangled it in front of her. “I’ve got it right here. I’d give it back, but I think it’s safe to say I’ll hold onto it for now.”

“Right,” Marinette sighed dejectedly as he returned the necklace to his pocket. “And what happened to Paon?”

“You mean Félix?” Adrien growled. “I know he’s done some bad things but… but this? This is too far, even for him.” He clenched his fist, his mouth twisting into a furious scowl. “Especially this. Did you know who he was?” Adrien waved his claws in Luka and Marinette’s direction. “How is he not already arrested?” he asked heatedly.

“He…” Marinette hesitated, her eyes flicking to Luka as they exchanged a look, and Adrien felt a spark of outrage, like a heated flame igniting in his mind. With everything he had already learned, were there really still more secrets between them? But Marinette eventually continued, “Félix... knows something... And we can’t reveal his identity to the police without him destroying someone else’s.” She crossed her arms and chewed on her lip. “We’re at an uncomfortable impasse.”

“Oh.” Most of Adrien’s irritation deflated at that, though his animosity toward Félix didn’t decrease in the slightest. “That sounds bad,” he muttered.

“It makes things complicated.” Marinette nodded and added, “But it doesn’t stop us from dealing with Hawk Moth’s schemes.”

“Right, _Hawk Moth,”_ Adrien repeated with a hum. “Speaking of which, I found out about _that_ secret too.”

“Wha…” Marinette’s gaze shot up, and her face seemed to pale for some reason, the freckles along her nose standing out in stark contrast. “H-how did you…?”

“I heard Félix talking with them,” Adrien explained, and Marinette’s expression shifted to confusion. “I don’t know their identity, but Félix called them ‘Farfalla’ when they spoke through their little connection.”

“O-oh…” Marinette seemed to relax, slumping against the wall with a sigh of relief and mumbling, “Félix said that…”

“How did you find yourself in this situation with Félix anyway?” Luka asked, looking pointedly at Marinette. “I thought you were lying low?”

“He must have gotten our address and pretended to be _my_ Adrien to get into the building,” Marinette surmised, folding her arms and tapping her fingers restlessly against her elbows. “And he probably ordered Duusu to pick the lock to get into the apartment.”

“Then you’re not safe at home as long as he’s after you,” Luka grumbled with a frown.

“It doesn’t seem like anywhere I go is safe,” Marinette groaned. “But at least now, Félix is probably clued in to the fact that Chat Noir is protecting me.”

“And Foresight can’t predict where I’ll be,” Adrien added with a grin. “So they might not risk another attack like that.”

_“Let’s hope not!”_

Adrien jumped at the sound of another voice as it echoed loudly through the quiet alley, but when he spun around poised for an attack, his alarm quickly receded. Alix stood a few feet behind them, slouched over and using her parasol to help prop herself up. Her breathing sounded ragged, and even her rabbit ears appeared to droop.

 _“That_ was a close call,” Alix panted, massaging her forehead. “You know what? After all this is over, I’m taking a vacation.” She marched closer and counted off on her fingers. “No more time-hopping, no more miraculous, and definitely no. More. Burrow!”

“Alix?” Marinette gasped. “What _happened?”_

“Oh, you know…” Alix muttered. “Just figuring out that even though I have the ability to _hop through freaking time,_ the universe still operates on a tight schedule. At least I _finally_ figured out what was throwing everything out of balance.” Alix then straightened up and jabbed an accusing finger at Marinette and Adrien. “You two were almost the death of me!”

“What?” Adrien waved his hands wildly and shook his head. “I don’t remember doing anything to endanger you.”

“You wouldn’t,” Alix spat, folding her arms and shooting him a narrow frown. “The Burrow is too powerful, unlike the snake charmer's abilities.” She jerked a thumb at Luka. “Not to say that resetting time isn’t overpowered, but you wouldn’t remember anything I erase through another time-line. _However..._ That’s not what I mean.

“With all this cockamamy time-loop business, it took me _way too long_ to figure out that I actually needed to get our boy Viperion over here to be in the right place at the right time—because, before this?” Alix threw her arms into the air and exclaimed, “He was half-way across Paris and in no position to help! And _why_ would that be a problem? Because you’d think Max might be able to do something, but nooooo. Changing _one little thing_ winds up throwing the whole loop out of whack! And don’t even get me started about Marinette’s identity as Multimouse getting exposed!”

“Wait, _what_ happened!?” Marinette cried.

“We already fixed that!” Adrien jumped up and quickly reassured her. “Luka used Second Chance, so Félix doesn’t remember anything!”

“Yeah,” Alix huffed, spinning her parasol around her wrist before propping it against her shoulder. “Granted, he didn’t find out that you’re Ladybug, but either situation wouldn’t have ended well; not to mention it wouldn’t have done Mylène any favors.”

“Alix…” Marinette sighed as she smacked her palm against her forehead.

“Oh, right, secret identities. Well, not that they matter _now.”_ Alix waved her hand nonchalantly. “Apart from Hawk Moth’s identity, our Kitten here has pretty much learned everything.”

“What do you mean it doesn’t matter?” Marinette asked and planted her hands on her hips.

Adrien’s heart skipped a little beat, because he couldn’t help but think he had seen Marinette do that so many times in costume _and_ out of it. Alix may have just given away the fact that another of his classmates was one of their fellow superhero friends, but he wasn’t paying that any mind, too focused on Marinette’s movements now that she appeared to be feeling better. _How_ had he not noticed the similarities with her behavior sooner?

“Because there’s a simple solution to all of this,” Alix explained. “Everything we’re going through is just one big time-loop, which is why Fluff never sensed anything wrong in the first place.” She tilted her head and scratched her chin. “Max has a theory that our mini-heroes will forget everything they learned about the future once Foresight’s dealt with and past Marinette can use her Miraculous Ladybug. The not-so-simple part?

“Imagine _my_ surprise when Fluff finally sensed that something was wrong. An _imbalance_ that should have been obvious, because it’s only started recently—like when you and mini-Adrien here started hanging out. I knew it would be a good idea to eventually get all four of you together, but I thought Chat Noir would be good enough for a while because I didn’t realize how important Ladybug’s presence was.” Alix pointed her parasol at them and moved it from Adrien to Marinette. “Didn’t you tell us that the Ladybug and Cat miraculous are two halves of the same whole? Yin and Yang? Creation and destruction?” Alix then folded her arms. “So what happens when you put two cat miraculous together for too long?”

Marinette’s expression appeared blank for a split second before her head dropped into her hands and she groaned. _“We’re_ the problem!?”

“Hold up, what’s going on?” Adrien asked in confusion. “I’m not following.”

Alix’s gaze flicked to Plagg for a brief second. “Simple. Ladybug and Chat Noir are a balance. While meeting yourself isn’t as bad as most time-travel theories lead you to believe, it isn’t so great when it’s two miraculous of destruction in one place. For a little while, everything was fine. But eventually, the two cats created chaos because one of their Ladybug’s wasn’t nearby to balance it out. Got it?”

“Oh.” Adrien turned his attention to Marinette and frowned. “So, because you have this time’s cat miraculous, and I have the one from the past, it was like it was… creating bad-luck?”

“You could say it like that.” Alix winked. “The good news is, I know Félix won’t try _that_ again, now that he knows you’re with Marinette, but we’re not sending her back to her apartment, just in case.” She lifted her parasol and pointed directly in front of her. A moment later, a large portal spun into existence before them. “I’ve got a different place in mind that will make it easier for us to bring Mini-Marinette into the mix and hopefully fix this crappy time-line mess.”

“Are you talking about the base?” Luka asked, stepping up toward the portal.

“‘Base?’” Adrien repeated, twisting around excitedly. “You guys have a base? Like a secret superhero base?” His excitement grew when Marinette nodded with a smile, but his expression quickly shifted as he blinked in confusion. “Wait, if you had this secret base already, why didn’t you just hide there in the first place?”

Marinette turned to Alix with a curious expression. “I was wondering about that myself, but Alix said no when I suggested it.”

Alix shook her head. “Yeah, we did something like that in another time-jump—bad plan—didn’t work. But that was before I knew Foresight couldn’t see the futures of our mini-heroes.” She then jabbed her parasol at Marinette and added, “Besides that, do you really think she would just hide somewhere safe while we’re all dealing with supervillains outside?”

Adrien turned to Marinette and gave her a stern frown, mirroring the one his future self had worn just that morning while he answered, “Probably not.”

“Of _course_ not!” Alix slapped her hands together before turning to Marinette with a grin. “Ready to suit up again?”

“Uh…” Adrien tried to interject. “Is that safe? Transforming was what caused her to faint in the first place.” He pointed at her Burrow tunnel. “And why does she need to transform if we’re using your power?”

“Because thanks to Max, one does not simply walk into the Kwami Cave,” Luka chuckled softly. “Alix can get us close, but we still have to do a little bit of our own traveling.”

“I’ll be fine.” Marinette smiled at Adrien reassuringly. “I’ve only got one miraculous on me now.” She turned her gaze to lock eyes with Plagg as he floated out in front of her. “Ready, Plagg?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Plagg drawled, shaking his head. “Looks like I’m not the one who needed a recharge this time.”

As Marinette lifted her hand and called out the transformation phrase, Adrien couldn’t help the soft gasp that escaped him. A familiar green light washed over her body, replacing her clothes with the suit that concealed her identity from the rest of the world. It was one thing to _know_ who she was beneath that mask, but to see her transform in front of his own eyes?

He would _never_ get tired of watching that.

Granted, it wasn’t her Ladybug transformation, but Adrien’s heart still gave him a little kick in the chest when she flipped her long braid over her shoulder. And then he pretty much forgot how to breathe when she noticed him staring and shot him a playful wink with those sparkling green eyes.

“I thought it was weird, but you look pretty calm considering he found out your identity,” Alix remarked as they stepped up to The Burrow’s opening.

“It helps that I experienced a similar situation when we were younger.” Marinette shrugged. “Plus, I already freaked out earlier.” She then pulled out her baton, spinning it between her claws as she hastily added, “Let’s move. I want to get to the base before anything _else_ happens today.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, Mini-Marinette is experiencing some very vivid sequences of déjàvu. xD
> 
> A wild Luka appears!


	16. Lucky Bugs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot guarantee an update schedule at this point, but here is the new chapter, finally! :D

Marinette’s fingers drummed restlessly against the polished countertop, her mind a chaotic whirlwind of thoughts despite the air of calm surrounding her. Nino cruised about in his usual demeanor of chill while fixing some toast in the kitchen, and right beside her, Alya relaxed quietly, slouched over a little too comfortably as she typed away at her laptop.

At a glance, it only _seemed_ like a casual mid-Sunday morning routine. But every minute to Marinette felt like an eternity, agonizingly dragging on as if time itself trudged slowly through a muck thicker than the sludge rumored to rest at the bottom of the Seine.

Marinette’s stomach rumbled silently, and her gaze flicked down to the untouched bowl of cereal sitting in front of her. She _was_ hungry, but at the same time, the thought of eating anything made her insides squirm with a queasy feeling. There was something _far_ more important going on to be able to concern herself with breakfast.

 _Like Chat Noir,_ her brain unnecessarily fired at her, adding another knot to the tense apprehension coiling between her shoulders.

“Your cereal is getting soggy.” Alya’s dry tone pulled Marinette from the mayhem of her own mind, and her eyes shot up to find her friend giving the bowl a scrutinizing look.

 _“I know,”_ Marinette grumbled, slumping over further in her seat. “But I’m not really hungry...”

“Too much on your mind?” Alya asked, snapping her laptop shut. “I know what you’re thinking, and you shouldn’t worry about it so much.” She quickly clapped her hands together and gave Marinette an eager grin. “This should be exciting! We get to _see_ your reaction to Chat Noir sans the mask!”

“Maybe it’s exciting for _you,”_ Marinette mumbled, waving her hands dismissively, and Alya’s smile dropped at the annoyed look Marinette shot at her. “Which makes sense, since you’ve always wanted to see Ladybug and Chat Noir get together..."

“Err…” Alya flicked her eyes hesitantly to the counter top where their kwami sat, quietly munching on a breakfast of sweet Danishes. “I mean, it’s not like I don’t support you…” She then folded her hands in her lap and leaned back wearing a sheepish grin. “But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely over the moon about it—and—hey! It’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement when Ladybug and Chat Noir are practically a celebrity power couple. Besides that, your future-self is _way_ happy with him, girl!”

“Well, _you_ know that, but I’m still just trying to process all of this.” Marinette scooted her bowl out of the way so that she could lean forward and drape herself over the counter. “And what if something goes wrong? What if we can’t reset the timeline and wind up remembering everything?” Marinette fidgeted with her spoon, tracing a fingernail along the delicate design etched into the cutlery. “Alix can use her Burrow to try and fix it, but the fact that a situation with Chat Blanc could—”

There was no noise or warning for what happened next. Marinette’s vision simply disappeared behind a brilliant flash of light. When she became aware of her surroundings again, she found herself a few feet away from where she had been… and... standing in the middle of the kitchen for some reason?

But… she’d just been sitting at the counter, hadn’t she…?

“What do you want for breakfast?” Nino asked her, straightening up from behind the open fridge door and holding a carton of milk in his hand. It was all very, very familiar… “We’ve got cereal if you don’t want any toast,” he added, repeating the same suggestion that he had given her a few minutes earlier.

“Didn’t you… already ask me this?” Marinette blinked and turned slowly, exchanging a confused look with Tikki, who hovered just over her shoulder.

“What’s up?” Nino’s gaze flicked between them, a curious look on his face that bordered on concern.

“I just got a serious sense of déjà vu.” Marinette grasped her head, already wracking her brain for an explanation as to what was going on. It was all too vivid to have been imagined, and given their time-shenanigans, she quickly came to the obvious solution. “Does Luka have the snake miraculous full-time?” she asked.

“He does,” Alya answered from where she sat at the counter. “Why? Do you think something’s wrong?” Marinette didn’t even get a chance to respond before Alya’s attention jumped to Nino, her expression a tight frown. “You don’t think…?”

“That Félix tried something again and put _our_ Marinette in danger?” Nino fumed as his hand curled into a fist and he slammed the fridge shut. Before anyone could say anything more, he sprinted past Marinette and toward the front door. “Let’s go!”

Nino was nearly to the end of the hall by the time Marinette and Alya darted after him, their kwami quickly tucking themselves into hiding along the way. All three of them passed right by the elevator, racing up the stairwell and taking two or three steps at once. Reaching the roof in record time, they paused for a quick moment to check their surroundings and ensure that the coast was clear before transforming in the shadow of a small alcove.

“Marinette wasn’t supposed to leave her apartment,” Alya mumbled as she flicked open a small panel on her flute. “But if Félix found her somehow…”

Marinette leaned in to watch her friend navigate the flute’s applications until they could see the name ‘Multimouse’ displayed on the screen for active contacts.

“Future-me is using the mouse miraculous?” Marinette asked in surprise.

“She’s transformed,” Nino pointed out, his mouth pulled down in a grim frown. “Which means something’s gone wrong.”

“Chat Noir is active too,” Marinette added, having flipped out her yo-yo to see his name lit up on her own screen.

“He was standing guard,” Alya explained, snapping the flute’s panel shut with a quick flick of her wrist. “But future-you wouldn’t be transformed unless she needs to be. We have to get over there _now!”_ Alya darted up to the edge of the roof, stopping only to shield her eyes from the sunlight and peer into the distance. “Geeze, where are Bunnyx or Pegasus when you need them?”

“Do we have enough time to even get there ourselves?” Marinette asked, swinging her yo-yo out and following Alya and Nino as they jumped off the roof and propelled themselves with super-human strength over the heights of Paris.

In contrast to how slowly the morning had passed, now it felt like time was racing by much too quickly. How many minutes did they have left, if even that long? For all Marinette knew, there might only be seconds until Luka used his Second Chance and simply set her back into the apartment.

“We’ll just have to try,” Alya said through her grit teeth, her strong voice clear above the wind rushing past Marinette’s ears, even as her friend rolled onto a slanted rooftop with Nino right beside her. “But if Viperion has to use Second Chance again—”

Alya never got to finish her sentence. Just as she feared, Marinette’s vision burst into white without any warning—but not before she spotted something moving out of the corner of her eye; a suspicious flash that she took careful note of before everything reset.

When she came to— _yet again_ —she was standing right back in the middle of Nino and Alya’s tiny kitchen, the scenario repeating itself for a second time.

“What do you want—” Nino started.

“Viperion is using Second Chance!” Marinette quickly blurted, waving her hands frantically before he could repeat himself a third time—not that he would be aware of the resets. “And adult-me is transformed and probably in some kind of danger!” Out of the corner of her eye, Marinette saw Alya jolt up in her seat, her expression contorted with confusion. But they didn’t have time for questions. “For some reason, I can remember everything. We need to move fast!”

At her words, Alya and Nino tore out of the apartment, impressing Marinette once she’d gotten over her shock of how fast they could both move without asking for further details about the situation. They didn’t have the full story, but they still acted immediately, because in this future, the pair of them had already matured together as full-time heroes. It created a warm sense of pride as Marinette bolted after them.

Within seconds, they were fully transformed, all of them antsy after Marinette had given her friends the cliff notes version of the circumstances on their run up the stairway. With the accompanying adrenaline rush, Marinette was only _slightly_ out of breath when she reached the roof.

“Okay, so if Viperion is using Second Chance, how will we be able to help if we can’t get there in time?” Nino asked as he jumped out over the edge of the building. Alya followed his lead this time, with Marinette swinging above them from her yo-yo. “We’d need Pegasus’ power to cross the city before everything resets!”

“I almost wish I couldn’t remember any of this,” Marinette said, tossing her weapon out and flying forward despite the apprehension worrying at the edge of her mind. “How can I help when I only _know_ that something is wrong, but can’t get there in time?”

“We can’t give up,” Alya added as she gracefully jumped to the top of a chimney pipe and paused briefly to squint into the distance. “If Viperion needs back-up, we’ll provide it however we can.”

As Marinette swung out over another rooftop, a blurry shape flashed through the corner of her vision.

This was something she had expected, wondering and watching for when the suspicious figure she had spotted before would make its appearance. Marinette immediately pulled back on her yo-yo’s string, which shot her out over the skyline at a breakneck speed. A light wisp of air brushed past her shoulder—the only indication that she just managed to avoid whatever had tried to grab her from behind.

Reeling her weapon in with a snap, Marinette landed in a crouch on the flat tiles of a rooftop garden and whipped her head up to see Foresight scowling down at her from the window ledge of an adjacent building. It wasn’t long before Nino and Alya joined Marinette at her side, standing off against Foresight in a defensive formation.

“You arrived faster than I expected this time.” From beneath the helmet that covered half of her face, Foresight sneered and poised with sincere confidence, as if the higher ground gave her an advantage against being outnumbered. “That doesn’t matter though... Your little snake-friend may be using his power to reset everything, but I can still remember what’s happened—unlike _you!”_

Yelling the last few words, Foresight chose that moment to strike, leaping from the window and practically diving at them like a swimmer into a pool. Nino, Alya and Marinette dashed out of the way, leaving Foresight to slam her fist into the solid rooftop. The tiles beneath Marinette’s feet rattled, and her own nerves jittered at the impact that felt like the equivalent of a small earthquake. Akuma-enhanced powers or not, that had to hurt, right?

Foresight surprised them all by simply shaking it off, jumping up into a flip that landed her easily back on her feet. Particles of ceramic floated from her hand as she simply shook away the dust. Marinette didn’t want to compliment the villain by comparing her to an olympic gymnast but… she couldn’t help being impressed by the maneuver.

“Babe—!” Nino’s abrupt shout rang out beside Marinette, startling her. But she noticed him glance at Alya, needing only a single look between them for her to nod with understanding.

Marinette couldn’t decipher what had transpired, but it seemed they both had a plan.

Whatever it was, Foresight appeared to have her own scheme in mind. The akuma took a step to the side and… Vanished? Or rather, she simply disappeared into one of her portals, which had been turned at an angle difficult for Marinette to see before it shrank completely out of sight. 

“Shit!” Alya’s head swiveled one way and then another. “Has she gotten faster?”

“Probably that energy she stole from one of our heroes back at the Agreste mansion, yea?” Nino answered, raising his shield in front of him while his narrow gaze surveyed the surrounding roof.

Marinette turned to face away from her two friends, trusting them to have her back and prevent Foresight from getting the jump on them. Like a scene in a movie, everything had gone too quiet, with the usual buzz of Paris’ early morning traffic nothing more than a soft murmur from the street below. It was nerve-racking just watching for Foresight to make her move, like waiting on the train when you were in a rush. Marinette mindlessly counted out each nervous beat of her pulse, certain that their time was close to running out.

Or had it already passed? This obviously hadn’t happened before, even if they _were_ earlier than the previous time. It felt as if events were beginning to progress without any signs of Viperion using his power on this go around. Luka should have already used Second Chance. Did that mean he had a hold of the situation, wherever he was?

Whatever the circumstances, it was still difficult for Marinette to accurately gauge. With all of her friends being adults, they could go well beyond the five-minute limit that they’d been restricted by in the past. It was reasonable to assume that Luka could go for longer periods of time before activating Second Chance to reset everything.

One could only hope that he had managed to fix the problem quickly, or else she might be in for one headache of a ride. She didn’t know how she could handle too many more resets.

 _Poor Adrien,_ she thought to herself. How long had he had to endure that battle against Desperada, re-living the same loop twenty five thousand, nine hundred and thirteen times!

“Above!” Alya suddenly cried out, and Marinette whipped her gaze up in time to catch sight of Foresight diving directly at her, arms stretching out and hands poised like talons ready to strike.

Nino was practically smack against her before she could come up with a way counter. With one arm around her shoulders, he lifted his other to raise his shield above them.

“Shell-ter!” his voice echoed out, and the green barrier shot out to cover them in an instant. Foresight slammed against the dome while it was still expanding, and the force sent her tumbling off to the side where she rolled into the side of a wooden shed with a crash.

“I’m thinking that akuma has her sights set on you, Little Bug,” Nino said.

“Looks like it,” Marinette agreed, about to thank him, when something dark and slender shot into her field of view. It disappeared on impact with the barrier, but the second it faded, Nino’s Shell-ter shimmered with an eerie shadow, like a drop of ink billowing out into clear water.

“Are you kidding me!” Nino shouted as cracks formed and spread out along the point of impact from whatever had hit the shield. “Why is _that guy_ here!?”

“Who?” Marinette turned to stare in the direction from where the projectile had come, squinting to see a tiny figure standing on an apartment some blocks away. As she watched, a man swathed in a dark robe raised an intricate looking bow and pulled back the string. Within an instant, an arrow made of pure darkness bubbled to life upon the weapon.

“Ugh... Shatter,” Nino groaned, tugging Marinette back and raising his shield above the both of them as the barrier shattered into pieces, raining down on the roof like tinkling shards of glass. “An akuma we’ve run into before. He can shoot through anything, including my shields!”

Alya jumped to the edge of the roof with her flute raised to her lips. A few short, quick notes pierced the air and at least a dozen clones of herself shimmered into existence.

“I’ve got him!” Alya shouted as she and her clones darted over the rooftops toward the other akuma.

“That leaves us to handle Foresight,” Nino said, pounding his free fist into his shield.

“Handle me?” Foresight stumbled to her feet and quickly jerked her head to the side. The bones in her neck gave off an audible ‘pop!’ “You haven’t been able to so far,” she said with a sneer.

A sudden cry from Alya’s direction pulled Marinette’s attention, and she spun around to see that Alya had reached the other Akuma. But instead of an ensuing fight, Marinette noticed a limp figure tumbling toward the streets below, with Alya leaping down to follow.

And far above them, a lithe, dark form fluttered desperately to escape.

“No you don’t!” Marinette sprinted to the edge of the roof and swung her arm back. She flung her yo-yo toward a pair of white column chimneys, where it whipped around and veered in several directions, movement that was impossible for any mere object. The indestructible wire stretched taut between the two stacks, and swinging out on the remaining cord, she leapt toward it, setting her foot against the cable and pushing it back, feeling the tension build like a coiled spring. The wire quickly snapped forward and sent her flying, straight out over the rooftops and careening toward the tiny form of the fleeing akuma.

Marinette quickly pulled in her yo-yo, then tossed it out across the distance. She was close enough. She could make it. The akuma wasn’t going to escape on her watch!

But before her yo-yo could snap up the insect, a hand came out of nowhere and suddenly clamped around her wrist. Marinette jerked her head to the side to find Foresight grinning maliciously back at her, appearing out of a portal that hung in the air above the streets of Paris.

Foresight then yanked hard on her arm, simultaneously grabbing her yo-yo’s cable with the other and interrupting the momentum of her flight. Were she an average citizen, the force might have wrenched her shoulder out of place. Marinette’s suit protected her from suffering any damage, thankfully. If her Miraculous Ladybug didn’t fix everything, her arm might be sore in the morning, but that she could at least live with. 

Marinette’s problem was, along with her attacker, she began to fall. And they were at least thirty stories up.

Her free hand flew to Foresight’s fingers to pry at the villain’s grip, but Marinette fumbled even with something as simple as that. She could already feel the effects of Foresight’s ability stealing her strength.

Having encountered the villain twice before, Marinette had deduced that Foresight’s powers appeared to be very similar to that of Timebreaker, the akuma form that Alix took when her family’s watch was broken. She collected energy from others in order to fuel her powers.

The good news was, Foresight didn’t instantly sap a person’s energy and erase them from time itself. Marinette wasn’t going to disappear into thin air.

But that didn’t mean it wasn’t a dire situation. Foresight couldn’t take all her energy in one go, and Marinette sensed it gradually leaving her as a sickly sensation, like being under the throes of a heavy fever. It weighed her limbs down, making her entire body feel heavy and lethargic. And there was still the fact that they were both careening toward the pavement of the street directly below them.

Her senses fading, Marinette was only faintly aware of her earrings giving out a sharp beep in warning. Despite the fact that she hadn’t even used her Lucky Charm, her transformation was threatening to drop.

“LB!” Marinette heard Nino’s frantic shout, but it sounded so distant, it may as well have come from miles away.

Then something zipped beside her with a familiar whirring noise, but it couldn’t have been the sound of her own yo-yo. That instrument was dangling limply from her hand, with Foresight’s grip still fastened around the cord like a vice.

But there it was, plain as day. The spotted weapon coiled around Foresight’s arm and snapped it back, ripping loose her hold on Marinette. She had the sense to try and steal back her own yo-yo, but in her dazed state, she couldn’t even get her bearings straight before a strong arm wrapped around her waist.

“Hang on!” A deep voice that she was semi-familiar with vibrated against her.

Marinette quickly did as she was told, arms encircling her rescuer’s neck as Mister Bug sent a heavy kick towards Foresight’s stomach, causing the villain to reel back in pain and release her hold completely.

“Carapace!” Mister Bug shouted as he used his yo-yo to latch onto a lamp post, pulling the line taut and swinging them both up and away from the concrete rushing up to meet them. “Don’t let her follow us!” he commanded.

“Got it, dude!” Nino answered loud and clear despite the distance between them.

Marinette turned her head to peer over Mister Bug’s shoulder as he carried her up and away from the street, his free arm swinging out and easing into a more gentle movement as the site of battle quickly disappeared behind them. Marinette still managed to catch one last glimpse of Nino as he fearlessly dove from the roof and caught up with Foresight, using his Shell-ter to trap the dazed villain within. A risky move, but probably the best solution at the moment.

Then the rooftops shot above them as Mister Bug dropped into the shade of an empty street. Marinette’s desperate heartbeat pounded frantically in her ears, both from adrenaline and with the effort of keeping her body moving despite her stolen energy. She felt Mister Bug’s grip on her shift, and was only vaguely aware of one arm cradling against her back, with her legs draped over his other as he sprinted into a side-street between the buildings.

“Coast is clear here,” Mister Bug eventually announced in a low tone, turning into an alley only lit by sparse sunlight filtering in from above. In the hush of the shaded walkway, his voice sounded loud, even though he had tried to be quiet to avoid drawing attention. “And just in time, it looks like,” he added.

At his words, Marinette heard her earrings beep again, and light from the transformation suddenly flashed across her body. She instinctively reached out toward the falling shape that was Tikki, catching her kwami in her cupped hands before she could drop to the ground.

“You okay to stand?” Mister Bug asked, his green eyes sparkling back at her, brow etched with worry and concern. Marinette, determined to show that she was alright, collected herself despite the exhaustion pulling at her muscles and eventually nodded, grabbing her purse while Mister Bug carefully set her on her feet.

“I’m starting to think Farfalla released that akuma to distract me,” Marinette said, noticing that even as he set her down, Mister Bug’s arm did not pull away from her shoulders. With her feet on the ground, she was thankful for his care, because her legs trembled from the effort. She gratefully clutched his arm, realizing that with Foresight’s trick, she didn’t actually have the strength to stand on her own. No wonder her transformation had dropped.

“You know about Farfalla?” Mister Bug asked, his eyebrows springing up in surprise.

“I know who she is, too,” Marinette snorted, popping open her bag so that Tikki could slip inside and recharge with the emergency cookies she kept. “Alix dropped the bomb last night, along with a few other secrets.” Her eyes swept over him, and she felt the muscles in his arm stiffen beneath her hand. “The only thing I don’t know is Hawk Moth and Chat Noir’s identity—so for the moment, I’m still in the dark about _you.”_

She felt him relax, and Mister Bug released a sigh, as if he were tired. “Farfalla isn’t a one-trick pony. Shatter being there wasn’t a coincidence either.” He pointed at her. “Unlike Hawk Moth, Farfalla’s plans are all about misdirection.”

“I’m not surprised,” Marinette sniffed. “This _is_ Lila we’re talking about…”

Mister Bug’s eyes turned to the side, and he squinted just a bit, as if in thought. “She probably tried to use Foresight to reveal your identity since it was enough to drop your transformation.”

Marinette wasn’t surprised by that at all. It definitely sounded like something Lila would try. Another one of her schemes or lies—

A small gasp suddenly escaped her. “Wait! It hasn’t reset!” Marinette yelped.

“What?” Mister Bug stared at her with confusion written on his face.

“Second Chance!” Marinette blurted, stumbling back and almost losing her balance when she let go of Mister Bug to wave her hands. Thankfully, he quickly caught her again. “Viperion has been using Second Chance! And I can remember everything that’s happened for some reason. We think my future-self might be in trouble, because Multimouse was active, last we checked.”

“Multimouse?” Mister Bug jolted at that. “Right, she exchanged miraculous to be on the safe side,” he mumbled behind his glove as he rubbed his chin, brow furrowed beneath his mask. His suddenly tense expression gave her the impression that he wanted to leave, but with the grip he had on her upper arm helping to keep her steady, he obviously didn’t want to abandon her either.

“You need to leave me and go to your wife,” Marinette said sternly, setting her mouth into a determined frown.

“What?” he asked, his expression shifting to surprise before he quickly shook his head. “No. No, I can’t do that.” His hand squeezed her arm tighter, but it wasn’t painful, more like a sign of reassurance. “Whatever iteration you are: past or present... I can’t just leave you alone like this, Marinette.”

“I’m fine,” she insisted, grasping at his hand to try and remove it, though he stubbornly kept it locked in place. “I’m not the Marinette that’s got a jealous Lila after her while pregnant…”

Though it was a subject she was already familiar with, hearing the words out of her own mouth must have been akin to a confirmation that this was all really happening—or at least would eventually become her own future. It sent an uncomfortable sensation to seize up in the pit of her stomach. What was it about knowing so much about the future that made her feel so… dejected?

Chat Noir was more than a friend... He was her trusted partner. And in time… he would become her devoted husband. Everything was already solidified in the future set before her.

“It’s why you switched miraculous in the first place, isn’t it?” Marinette continued on, horrified to hear a soft quaver in her voice. She bowed her head, hoping that he couldn’t see her face in the shadows of the alley. She was embarrassed, feeling this way. 

But as much as she tried to hide it, the pain in her tone must have been evident, because Mister Bug laid his other hand on her shoulder to give it a reassuring squeeze.

“Marinette…” he breathed softly. “It’s… okay.”

She shook her head, pushing his hands away and crossing her arms, hugging herself. “It’s _not_ okay...” Her own voice sounded broken now, and she hated herself for it. “I _should_ be happy… I _want_ to be happy, and I am… but I just… I don’t know how I can let go of my feelings for… for A-Adrien…” She tried to stay quiet, aware of the fact that they were still in hiding from an enemy, but her voice bounced around the surrounding bricks before she could control her tone. “A-and it’s so much to process in so little time and I…” She lifted her head to peer into the familiar green eyes of her partner. The mask was different, but behind that crimson red mesh and black spots, he was still her chaton. “I’m sorry, Chat Noir… I’m so sorry…”

It was stupid. Childish. Something that she shouldn’t even have been concerned about. She had to have her head in the game. There was still a villain loose in the city and probably looking for her. Her friends were out there and fighting against Foresight for _her_ sake.

But she couldn’t help the hollow feeling that threatened to pull her into that inescapable pit of despair.

She felt warm tears roll down her cheeks, adding more shame to her grief. To be crying like a child in front of an adult—her future husband, no less! Over a boy that she wasn’t going to marry!

“I-I’m sorry,” Marinette sobbed, wiping at her cheeks and sniffing gently, trying to pull herself together. “T-this is ridiculous, I shouldn’t be—”

Her words caught in her throat when Mister Bug stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.

She froze up at first, not expecting to receive any kind of comfort. She was _crying,_ yes, but she was crying over a lost love. She was upset because the man in front of her was confirmation that she couldn’t be with the boy she held in her heart.

But it was kind and reassuring, giving her that encouraging warmth that often exuded from her partner when he was being supportive.

“It’s okay,” he whispered, the words radiating through her like the vibration of a purr. “You don’t need to apologize. I understand.”

“That doesn’t excuse—” she started, but he quickly cut her off when his voice growled in her ears.

“Yes it does! You shouldn’t have to go through any of this!” He suddenly straightened up, planting his hands firmly on her shoulders. His tight expression was fierce, but it wasn’t an anger directed at her. “What’s the point of all this? Alix said you were going to forget anyway and… And—DAMNIT! Spots off!”

She wasn’t prepared. Marinette’s heart puttered in her chest like a revving chainsaw when the pink glow lit up in her vision. “W-wait!” Those were the only words she could get out as she tried to spin away. “I’m not… I-it’s…” She squeezed her eyes shut and covered her face, plunging her view into darkness.

But she had already caught sight of evidence too damning to ignore.

A flash of blonde hair.

A radiant, yet apologetic smile.

And polished, silver studded earrings...

Marinette felt his hands squeeze her shoulders gently. “It’s okay, Marinette,” his gentle tone reassured her.

“It _can’t_ be...” Marinette whispered in shocked awe. At his quiet chuckle, she pulled her hands away and opened her eyes. Her gaze slowly moved up to meet the man she knew as a boy. The boy she held in her heart.

“A-Adrien?”

He flashed her that award-winning smile… Only it wasn’t simply the patented grin that he donned for the magazines and the crowds of adoring fans. It was a smile for her, with all the warmth and care reflected in a gaze that she had seen him give his own wife.

His wife.

_His wife!_

_THAT’S—!?_

Adrien’s expression was apologetic as he sheepishly waved. “Hey, Marinette.”

“Adrien!?” Marinette couldn’t help how her voice turned into a terribly shrill squeak. She didn’t move a muscle, hands frozen in front of her face as she peeked out between her fingers while her brain tried to process what— _who_ she was looking at.

“Marinette.”

Marinette lifted her eyes to find Tikki floating between them. “Are you okay? We didn’t mean to upset you.”

Marinette blinked a few times, still taking a moment to process what she was seeing. Even though she _knew_ what was going on, her gaze quickly zipped down to her purse, where her own Tikki peered up with a half finished cookie in her paws and a nervous smile on her face.

“No! I mean, yes!” Marinette swung her arms up in front of her, waving them wildly. “Yes… not it’s…” Her eyes moved back to Adrien, her face starting to feel warm. “Not you. I mean... It _is_ you—but _not_ you.”

Adrien let out a relieved sounding chuckle and lifted his hand up to rub at the back of his neck. “Yeah. I’m me.”

Marinette’s heart continued to race. In fact, it felt as if it were picking up even more speed than ever. Because she had finally managed to come to a conclusion. She finally understood what it all meant.

Her partner was the boy that _constantly_ flirted with her.

The boy who had _confessed_ his love for her.

The boy that she had _rejected_ because she was in love with _that. Same. Boy._

Then something else clicked in her brain.

“You… You didn’t marry Kagami?” Marinette’s soft voice was barely above a whisper.

“I didn’t marry Kagami.” Adrien nodded, an amused looking smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

“A-and… The girl you’re in love with…” If it were even possible, her voice seemed to pitch higher. “The one who doesn’t like your jokes…?”

“Who else do I spend enough time with to grace with so many puns, my lady?” Adrien tilted his body forward in a bow, seemingly trying—and failing—to hide the devious grin on his face. Somehow, her pulse shot up into an even higher gear.

And then every feeling in Marinette seemed to crash all at once. The only sound she could make was a lengthy, drawn-out groan as she dropped her head against her palms. “We’ve been right in front of each other!” she eventually exclaimed, though her words were muffled behind her hands.

“How a- _paw_ -ling that we didn’t even know it,” Adrien added without any hesitation.

“A-Adrien…” Marinette felt the strain in her throat as she tried to control her tone, managing only a breathless squeak. It wasn’t as if she _disliked_ his puns. In certain situations and with just the right timing, they were even somewhat brilliant—something that she would never, _ever_ admit to him—but at the rate he often fired them out on a single patrol, Marinette quickly grew weary of them.

But it wasn’t something she was used to with Adrien. She knew his identity _now_ , but it still caught her off guard. She was on the verge of laughing in the same instance she felt like she just wanted to cry. “Please don’t…” her voice eventually croaked out, stifling a noise that could have passed as a choked back laugh.

Whatever Adrien might have had to say about that, a sudden shout from above interrupted any further conversation. A loud and obnoxious, “Kaa-kaw!” echoed down from the rooftops.

Adrien cleared his throat while his Tikki tried to stifle a giggle. “That would be Nino’s ‘safe’ signal,” he explained.

“Ah…” Marinette squeaked out and simply nodded, not really knowing what more to say while Adrien cupped his hands around his mouth and tilted his head back.

“All clear!” he shouted. There was a brief pause of quiet before Nino and Alya, still transformed, dropped down into the alley beside them.

“That akuma is really starting to get on my nerves!” Alya made a show of brushing something off her shoulder before her gaze turned toward Adrien. Then she froze, stiffening up and staring at the two of them like a deer caught in headlights. Her surprised gaze flicked between Marinette and Adrien a few times before her face contorted into disbelief. “Are you kidding me!?” she suddenly raged.

“Ooh boy.” Nino scratched his hood. “Uh, guess the cat’s out of the bag? Or the bug’s out of the box?”

“Nino,” Alya growled, her fingers pressing against her forehead. “Don’t. Even.”

“Sorry,” Adrien quickly apologized. “Things got a little crazy.” He then pointed up to the rooftops and asked, “What happened with Foresight?”

“Don’t think you can just change the subject!” Alya stomped forward and jabbed a finger against Adrien’s chest. “Alix said your _past selves_ needed to meet! Explain, _Mister!”_

“Uh…” Adrien’s grin faltered and he glanced back at Marinette, a pleading look in his eye. “Things happened… Right, Marinette?”

“Uhm…” Marinette glanced at Alya and practically felt the heat radiating from her furious expression. She took in a sharp breath and tried not to wilt beneath her friend’s stern glare. “R-right! It wasn’t exactly under our control,” she managed to stammer, pretty sure her empty excuse wasn’t going to cut it.

Alya’s gaze bored into them for at least a good minute before she sighed out a, “Fine, whatever,” and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m still disappointed, but this isn’t the time for that, because Foresight’s ducked out— _again._ Looks like the energy she stole from Marinette gave her another boost.”

Nino agreed with a nod of his head. “She popped back into her portal like Alix does with her Burrow. With all that energy, she was even too fast for me.”

“Are you sure, babe?” Alya snickered. “Maybe you’re just getting old.”

Nino looked ready to make a retort, pointing a finger at her and puffing out his cheeks, but Alya’s flute let out a shrill note that quickly interrupted him. Retrieving her instrument from where she had it stowed at her back, Alya brought it forward to flick open the small screen.

“I didn’t expect you guys to be active out there.” Alix’s voice transmitted clearly from the device. “Did something happen?” she asked.

“What? Our local time-historian doesn’t know what’s going on?” Alya answered in a dry sounding tone. “Shocker.”

“Give me a break,” Alix groaned. “I’ve been through multiple Second Chances and at least a dozen time-line jumps this week already. Even the best would get a little lost keeping track of it all!”

“Speaking of Second Chances,” Alya pointed out with a glance at Marinette. “Mini Bug’s noticed Viperion’s activity. Got any intel on the situation?”

“Figured she might notice that,” Alix replied. “Alright, so Multimouse is fine. Everyone’s safe and hunkered down at the base now, but both Ladybug _and_ Mister Bug need to come here pronto.”

Marinette exchanged a curious look with Adrien while he asked, “I thought you said everyone is safe?”

“I’ll explain it all in more detail later!” Alix exclaimed sharply. “But for now, let’s just say the two cats are causing chaos because of some balance issues, and I’m tired of cleaning up after them! So is Mini-Bug ready to meet our Kitten?”

Adrien looked away from the device with a sheepish grin, even though Alix couldn’t see him. “That… probably won’t be an issue.”

There was a long, silent pause on the other end of the call.

“Wait…” Alix’s voice eventually crackled back to life. “You didn’t…?” Before anyone had a chance to explain, Alix started laughing. “You two really are a pair!”

“A pair?” Adrien asked, staring at Alya’s communicator as if he might be able to read Alix’s expression through it. “What’s that mean?”

“Well, you can ask your wife what _she_ did when you see her in person,” Alix snickered cryptically in answer.

Adrien’s expression widened in surprise, bordering a bit on concern. “Wait, what did she do?”

“Catch you guys when you get here!” Alix simply shouted.

“Alix, wait! What happened!?” Adrien yelped, but the call fell silent as Alix disconnected. “Alix!” 

“I’m beginning to think she likes causing trouble,” Alya grumbled as she stowed her flute away. “But I’d guess it isn’t too bad considering she’s being vague.”

Adien huffed and messed up his own hair in what appeared to be frustration. “I guess we’ll need to find out for ourselves then.”


End file.
